16 Dec 2025

Government will adopt the precision farming model to optimise resources, boost yields and minimise environmental impact.

Addressing a kgotla meeting in Kanye on Monday, President Advocate Duma Boko highlighted his efforts to attract international partners with expertise to accelerate the rollout of precision farming in Botswana.

He noted partnerships with entities like Space AI from the United Arab Emirates, which could help transform the agricultural sector, currently contributing less than 2 per cent to the country’s GDP.

Precision farming involves the use of technology to observe, measure and respond to variability in crops, soil and fields.

Rather than applying inputs such as water, fertilisers or pesticides uniformly across an entire field, the approach tailors them to specific areas based on data-driven insights.

President Boko, who was responding to concerns raised by residents regarding agricultural subsidiesfurther said revitalising agriculture through precision farming method would support the country’s export-led economy.

“With precision farming method, farmers on one hectare will produce more than before.”

He reiterated that investing in technology for production would not only raise yields but also ensure quality and high-value output.

The President said advanced precision farming technologies could even detect underground minerals, adding that experts from Space AI had demonstrated some of the rich mineral resources with which the country was blessed with.

In addition, he stressed the need for Batswana to benefit meaningfully from their produce, stating that food self-sufficiency was long overdue.

To help farmers increase yields and overcome challenges, he advocated assigning agronomists to provide ongoing mentoring for sustainable development.

He further outlined government’s intention to improve market access for farmers, ensuring they sold their produce at attractive prices.

Going forward, he noted that the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board would be the sole entity responsible for purchasing from producers at satisfactory prices.

He cautioned that farmers must be protected from exploitative buyers, adding that successful adoption of precision farming would spur agro-processing initiatives, including techniques such as chilling and freezing to preserve foodstuffs for export.

The President also urged the public to revive farming clusters, which fostered synergies through cooperation, shared resources and value-chain integration.

This approach, which is promoted by organisations like the Food Agriculture Organisation, he said had succeeded in countries such as Oman and India.

In efforts to resuscitate the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), the President said the State-Owned Enterprise  was working round clock to become profitable and address challenges, which had persisted for some time.

However, he noted that BMC had now improved on their turnaround time of paying suppliers.

As for Air Botswana, the President assured the residents that works were being done behind the scenes to revamp the company processes and turn it into a profitable entity.

On another matter, he emphasised the need to establish a Constitutional Court saying the country had for long relied on laws adopted from various jurisdictions, which did not always reflect indigenous concepts.

He therefore encouraged the nation to familiarise themselves with the implications of a Constitutional Court.

In his welcome remarks earlier, Kgosi Malope II of Bangwaketse noted that Phase I of water reticulation and new-pipe installation was nearing completion in parts of Kanye.

He hoped Phase II would soon commence in other settlements.

Kgosi Malope II also warned about rising cases of gender-based violence and murder in the village, calling for urgent interventions. He further highlighted alarming levels of stock theft. ENDS