03 Jul 2024

Farmers in the Letlhakeng District have been encouraged to utilise government programmes to enhance production in their farms. 

When officially opening Motokwe Integrated Agricultural Show and Horse Race on June 28, the Letlhakeng District Agricultural Coordinator, Mr Thomas Tadubana, said food production has declined globally due to the effects of climate change that has impacted negatively on crop and livestock production. 

He said  President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has declared the 2023/2024 an extreme agricultural drought year following the poor rains received during the season. 

Mr Tadubana said this called for the use of advanced technologies to improve agricultural productivity in the district. 

“The government supports the agricultural sector through Temo Letlotlo and Thuo Letlotlo programmes to mitigate against the effects of climate change. The programmes are output-based and aim to increase agricultural productivity and to commercialise the sector,” said Mr Tadubana. 

He further said the livestock sector contributes significantly to the socio-economic development of rural communities since it is a source of food and income, creates employment and provides raw materials. 

Mr Tadubana added that the beef sector remains the backbone of the livestock sub-sector since it contributes about 80 per cent of the sector’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

However, Mr Tadubana said the livestock sub-sector is continuously threatened by pests, disease outbreaks, frequent droughts due to climate change, and poor livestock husbandry. 

He said it is therefore imperative that appropriate technologies are adopted to improve livestock productivity in communal areas to ensure growth of the beef industry.

“The government is fully committed towards providing a conducive environment for farmers to produce optimally. The government promotes collaboration of key stakeholders through value-chain development in the agricultural space. This will unlock more business opportunities and lead to the much needed creation of employment for Batswana,” he said. 

He described agriculture as a business and encouraged farmers to change their mindset towards the sector and increase productivity. 

He said the government introduced the revised Artificial Insemination (AI) programme in November 2022, with an aim to increase the cattle population through the use of good genetic merits, advanced technology for early pregnancy detection and synchronisation to improve conception rate and efficiency. 

Mr Tadubana said the Ministry of Agriculture provides AI services to farmers at subsidised prices in the 16 AI camps countrywide. 

He observed that the livestock population in Letlhakeng District currently stood at 177 740 cattle, 8 785 sheep and 42 339 goats, and pointed out that poor livestock management and low productivity remained a challenge in the district. 

Mr Tadubana therefore appealed to farmers to practice good management practices for improved results. 

He encouraged farmers to keep records on production, business operations and even the use of medicines as required by BAITS for international market accessibility. 

Mr Tadubana urged farmers to form strong associations that can facilitate the input of the farming community in the formulation of programmes and policies and respond to international market requirements. Ends