04 Aug 2024

Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao, says the newly opened sets of modern grain storage silos at Pandamatenga are not only meant to benefit Chobe farmers but the farming community across the country.

He said the storage silos were constructed at Pandamatenga as the area was earmarked for the Special Economic Zone for agriculture, taking into account issues of the soil fertility and climatic conditions.

He noted that they should appreciate that the silos were meant to ensure their fruits of labour, reached the markets efficiently and sustainably.

He revealed this in an interview on the sidelines of the official opening of the storage facilities on Wednesday.

He therefore appealed to the farming community countrywide to make use of the infrastructure, which he said was meant to enhance food security by keeping harvested crops safely as they could safeguard the grain quality ensuring future use and meeting market demand.

He expressed gratitude that the infrastructure used advanced technology that could track temperature, moisture levels and grain quality in real time noting that the technology not only improved efficiency but also reduced waste and ensured quality of the stored harvest.

“Whether you are at Bobonong, Phitshane Molopo, Southern region or any corner of the country, you are entitled to utilise the silos because the key purpose is to preserve harvested crops in optimal conditions until they are needed for consumption or further processing,” he added.

Mr Molao further explained that the infrastructure preservation capability was crucial in preventing significant post-harvest losses, which could affect food security and economic stability.

Beyond preservation, he said, silos played a pivotal role in the logistical chain of agriculture as farmers could store their crops in silos immediately after harvest, allowing them to manage the timing of sales based on market conditions rather than selling at harvest time when prices may be lower.

He, however, appealed to Batswana at large to take advantage of the Temo Letlotlo programme to produce bumper yields that could fill up the silos.

He acknowledged that the programme aimed at improving food security at both households and national level.

Mr Molao further highlighted that there was a clause in the programme document, which stated that Motswana tlatsa dihalana and he called upon farmers to fill up the Pandamatenga silos.

He appreciated that in the previous years when harvest was good, some farmers kept theirs at home because of lack of capacity of the old silos hence government found it fit to augment the limited capacity. 

The minister said the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) was ready to assist farmers, adding that one of their roles was to visit farms to appreciate produce and assess if it could be brought to the silos for proper storage.

“They would also educate farmers on the necessary requirements to bring their harvests explaining issues of moisture content and other best options for storage to maintain the highest quality.

BAMB provides a market for all locally produced crops, stores and sells produce and inputs,” he said.  Mr Molao was optimistic that Batswana would be encouraged to take agriculture seriously and commercialise it to gain more benefits. ENDS