08 Apr 2026

Ministry of Environment and Tourism  continues to implement initiatives to expand the phane industry through promoting its harvesting as a climate-resilient livelihood for rural communities, especially in eastern and northern Botswana. 

Responding to a parliamentary question Tuesday, Minister Wynter Mmolotsi noted that the ministry was also supporting community trusts such as Tshimoyapula, Topisi and Bobirwa to manage and benefit from phane resources through Community Based Natural Resource Management (CBNRM) programme. 

Communities, he said had been supported with inputs in the past under the Wealth Creation Programme and women and youth had been encouraged to participate in the value chain. 

Regarding the import and export of phane, he said the ministry had tightened oversight to ensure that Botswana benefited from its natural resources while maintaining regional trade. 

In addition, Mr Mmolotsi highlighted that an export permit was mandatory for anyone transporting phane across borders. 

“This is a separate from a harvesting permit and is used to track the volume of resources leaving the country. Exporters of phane are required to pay for an export permit at P2 200 per consignment,” he said. 

He also said in coordination with the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, the ministry ensured that exported phane met international health standards and exporters required a phytosanitary certificate to confirm the product was free from pests and contaminants. 

Furthermore, Parliament learnt that following the approval of the Forestry Act, 2025, the ministry was currently developing the Forest and Range Resources regulations and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to effectively facilitate trade of non-timber forest products, including phane. 

On harvesting permits, Mr Mmolotsi told Parliament that the ministry regulated harvesting through a permit system to ensure sustainability, adding that key measures to regulate over-harvesting of phane included issuing seasonal harvesting permits through Forest and Range Resources district offices. 

He further said over-harvesting of phane was also regulated through restricting harvesting periods to prevent over-exploitation and allow breeding cycles, setting harvesting quotas in some areas as well as encouraging community managed harvesting through community-based organisations. “The ministry recognises risks faced by harvesters and has taken steps to improve safety. 

Through education and public awareness campaigns, the public is sensitised on techniques and handling of phane as well as promotion of protective clothing to prevent injuries and infections, awareness on hygienic processing to prevent contamination and food-borne illness among others,” he added. 

He indicated that to conserve the mophane worm, the Forest and Range Resources Act (2025) strengthened the ministry’s ability to protect the larvae, noting that the Act classified mophane worms as protected forest resource giving the ministry the power to enforce strict penalties for illegal or unsustainable harvesting practices. 

Prior to harvesting, Mr Mmolotsi said the department assessed the phane for readiness to be harvested, adding that habitat protection was done through conservation of mophane woodland ecosystem by encouraging and supporting land-use planning. 

“The ministry is currently developing initiatives which would transition the phane sector from a purely extractive activity into a structured green value chain. The initiatives include marketing phane as a sustainably harvested organic superfood, marketing phane by supporting communities’ participation in trade fairs and exhibition and encouraging small and medium enterprises in processing and packaging,” said the minister. 

Member of Parliament for Bobirwa, Mr Taolo Lucas had asked the minister to apprise Parliament on what the ministry had done or was doing in respect of the mophane worm industry in terms of expansion of the industry, import and export issues, harvesting permits, safety and protection of harvesters as well as conservation of the worm and value addition initiatives. ENDS