21 Jan 2024

Serowe West Member of Parliament, Mr Onalepelo Kedikilwe has urged his constituents to familiarise themselves with Temo-Letlotlo programme in order to make an informed choice whether to use it or not.

Speaking during a kgotla meeting in Serowe’s Makolojwane ward recently, he explained that the programme comprised of two categories, subsistence and commercial farmers, pointing subsistence farming constitutes two categories of Micro Scale farmers being Level 1 (willing and able destitute persons) and Level 2 (individuals with monthly income of up to P4 000).

He said under the programme farmers earning monthly income not exceeding P4 000 were assisted for free in the first ploughing season and thereafter would be required to contribute to the Strategic Grain Reserve contributory initiative dubbed ‘Tlatsa Difalana - Tema ke Kgetse’.

He said all farmers participating in Temo Letlotlo Programme, starting with Level 2 Micro Scale Farmers would make a compulsory donation of one 50kg bag of grain for every hectare subsidised to the Strategic Grain Reserve.

Mr Kedikilwe explained that the move was expected to promote and cultivate a spirit of self-reliance amongst farmers, adding that Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board would be responsible for the logistics regarding the collection of the donations. 

As for farmers earning a monthly income exceeding P4 000, after harvesting such farmers would be required to pay back the money government helped them with under the programme.

He encouraged constituents to register for the programme and liaise with agricultural extension officers to ensure that appropriate knowledge was acquired and implemented to obtain the best results.

He explained that the programme came with insurance against loss of crops due to problem animals and natural disasters. Ends