14 Oct 2024

Morula has been identified as one of the natural resources with potential to generate sustainable business opportunities for rural communities around the country.

As a result, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Tourism, engaged Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) as consultants to assess the distribution and abundance of the Morula trees in Tswapong North, Tswapong South, Tonota, North East, Tutume and Nata- Gweta areas.

The main objective of the project is to conduct a resource assessment of morula and other resources of importance in terms of their distribution patterns and abundance.

The study is also expected to unearth possible uses and potential value chain development options of the fruit.

Officially launching the consultancy, the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Kgotla Autlwetse, implored the communities in regions where the consultancy will take place to welcome BUAN staff in their areas as they need their full support to undertake the task successfully.

He said BUAN staff would be engaging members of the community as they gather the information.

Mr Autlwetse said P580 520 was set aside for the project, which has been awarded to BUAN Consult given their expertise in research on natural resources.

He said Botswana was not only rich in minerals such as diamonds and copper but was also endowed with other natural resources such as morula, mmilo and other related species.

He said much as these natural resources might be important there was limited empirical evidence on the distribution, abundance, pssible uses as well as sustainable harvesting methods of these natural resources.

On the other hand, he said, communities who tried to come up with projects that use morula had not gone far as a number of limitations ranging from lack of knowledge, poor governance and financial management work against such noble efforts.

“As of now there is also no clear evidence on how the communities where morula is found can take advantage of the resource to create jobs and improve their livelihoods,” he said.

However, he said, government through his ministry and the Rural Development Council (RDC) funding programme in the Second Transitional Development Plan and subsequent National Development Plans, has decided to specifically fund natural resource-based projects in rural areas.

Mr Autlwetse said morula-based projects were one of those targeted by this programme and other funding sources are also available through the Ministry of Environment and Tourism.

He said the purpose of the launch was to provide an opportunity to share with communities and the entire nation aspirations of the government on the potential for natural resources use and exploitation.

Assistant Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr Setlhabelo Modukanele, said there were many natural resources in the Tswapong area that needed to be investigated.

He asked BUAN to investigate other natural resources after finishing with the morula tree. Ends