Temo Letlotlo to revitalise arable farming
29 Nov 2023
Considering that arable farming is a practice popular in Tswapong region, communities in the area have been encouraged to embrace Temo Letlotlo to benefit as individual farmers and also to improve food supply for the entire nation.
Addressing a kgotla meeting at Lerala on Tuesday, the President, Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, said despite the insufficient rainfall for this ploughing season, it was important that farmers registered for the programme. Temo Letlotlo is a multi-sectoral programme intended to revitalise arable farming towards a more commercial approach, and use agriculture as a drive to attain Botswana’s high income status.
To register for Temo Letlotlo, the President said one need their Omang, farm certificate and a cellphone.
Furthermore, President Masisi implored the custodian ministry and stakeholders to ensure successful implementation of the programme through provision of robust education and information for farmers.
Temo Letlotlo, Dr Masisi said, was not just a programme but a special one because it was an output based arable agricultural programme intended to promote the spirit of self-reliance among Batswana in terms of food production.
Meanwhile, as the country is geared towards a knowledge based economy, with intensive research, high technology and consultations, Dr Masisi said there were plans to introduce Thuo Letlotlo, where people would now keep a variety of animals or species, not only the common domestic animals.
For his part, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi, stated that compared to other regions, it showed that numbers of those who registered for Temo Letlotlo in Tswapong were low and encouraged communities in the area to register in large numbers as such programmes were meant to improve lives.
Mr Molebatsi implored residents to form clusters for effortless benefit of government initiatives.
He noted that assisted as a cluster through Temo Letlotlo, some services came for free compared to when one was assisted as an individual.
On a related matter, Mr Molebatsi implored them to take advantage and use Sefhophe and Serule artificial insemination centres within their proximity. Ends
Source : BOPA
Author : Kabo Keaketswe
Location : Lerala
Event : Kgotla meeting
Date : 29 Nov 2023