24 Feb 2014

The deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Ms Oemetse Nkwane has urged farmers around Jwaneng to optimally utilise the Jwaneng Agricultural Service Centre (JASC) upon its completion.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony for construction of the JASC recently, Ms Nkwane said the ASCs were part of the Agricultural Services Support Project (ASSP) through which government intended to eliminate hunger amongst Batswana.

The JASC, which is a partnership between the Ministry of Agriculture and Jwaneng Mine, was expected to be complete after eight months. The DPS noted that the construction of the centre commenced at the end of the ploughing season, and was expected to be effective in the next ploughing season.

She urged Jwaneng farmers and those in the peripheries to take agriculture as a fully-fledged business and take it seriously to optimise their yields. “The Ngwaketse West region used to be known for high farm produce, but this has gradually decreased over the years. I encourage you to utilise this centre in order to enhance the quality and increase the quantity of your produce,” she said.

She applauded Jwaneng Mine for coming forth to forge such a partnership with the government to ensure to uplift the standard of agriculture. However, Ms Nkwane said Jwaneng mine should not only be involved in the construction phase of the project but also be part of it during its operation to ensure its success and effectiveness in the lives of Batswana.

Furthermore, she urged the Department of Building and Engineering Services (DBES) to closely supervise the project so that it could be completed on time and serve its intended purpose effectively. The collaboration of all stakeholders, she noted, could go a long way in ensuring the success and sustainability of the centre.

For his part, the mine's representative Mr Tefo Molosiwa noted that they had consulted widely about the interests of Batswana and how they would like the mine to contribute to the economy beyond the diamond period. He said his company’s intention was to come up with a sustainability plan for the agricultural centre to maximize its benefits to Batswana in Jwaneng and surrounding areas.

The Jwaneng deputy district commissioner Mr Richard Boitshwarelo implored farmers to take advantage of the centre to better their yields for profitability. He appealed to tractor drivers to continue helping fellow Batswana amidst all the challenges they were facing.

He acknowledged challenges such as late payments to tractor drivers, but appealed to them to bear with the government on such shortfalls. Ends