08 May 2025

Residents of Kokotsha gathered to celebrate good season harvest with agricultural products full display at the recent Letlhafula Day on Wednesday. 

The event brought together local farmers, community members, and agricultural officials to showcase the region’s rich heritage, culture, food, dance, and music,  while highlighting the positive outcomes of good rains and an abundant harvest. 

The event’s objectives, as outlined by the District Crop Production Officer, Ms Mariam Mosimenyane, aimed to celebrate and showcase the unique heritage of the Kgalagadi region. 

She noted that also served as a platform to highlight the fruitful results of the recent rainy season and to foster a strong sense of community and regional identity. 

Moreover,  she said letlhafula provided residents with an opportunity to showcase and sell their harvest, connecting them with potential markets. 

Ms Mosimenyane highlighted that the event also facilitated knowledge sharing, allowing attendees to interact and learn from different crop production professionals to improve their practices for the upcoming season. 

For his part Mr Phenyoyaone Keaja, the Acting District Crop Production Officer from Tsabong emphasised the importance of ploughing in bolstering national food security. 

He urged farmers to plant in large quantities  for subsistence farming, thereby contributing to the nation’s food reserves and reducing the reliance on food imports. 

Mr Keaja also encouraged the youth to participate in agriculture through cluster farming and using government initiatives. 

He further advised farmers to work closely with crop production officers for guidance and to conduct thorough market surveys before planting to ensure profitability. 

Further, he  highlighted the importance of soil improvement for achieving high yields and advised  farmers to consider planting legumes such as cowpeas, groundnuts, jugo beans together with sorghum because they were suitable for the soil in the Kgalagadi region. 

Deputy District Commissioner, Ms Semakaleng Palai lauded the Kokotsha community for hosting the event, recognising it as a significant motivation for farmers who might have faced challenges in the past year, encouraging them to work even harder in the future. 

She urged the youth to embrace entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector, investing in farming to create employment opportunities for themselves and others, thereby contributing to the fight against unemployment. ENDS