02 Mar 2014

Minister of Agriculture, Mr Christiaan De Graaff has requested Parliament to approve over P968 million under the recurrent budget and P720 million for development budget for the Ministry of Agriculture.

Presenting the 2014/2015 proposed budget on February 27, Mr De Graaff said the proposed budget for Department of Corporate Services included parastatals which were granted subvention by the government.

These were the Botswana Agricultural Marketing board (BAM) which was allocated about P4 million, Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) and National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC) which are allocated about P101 million and P20 million respectively. On development budget proposal, Mr De Graaff requested for the approval of P720m to complete on-going projects.

These projects, he said included activities under the ministry headquarters mainly the completion of construction and furnishing of the Plant Quarantine Laboratory structures at Sebele and the settlement of the final account for the construction of pre-fabricated offices at Ramotswa and Shakawe. The projects would cost P32.5 million.

Under the Department of Crop Production, he said about P527 million is required of which P320millon is for ISPAAD, LIMID and International Fund Agricultural Development (IFAD) programmes under the Agricultural Support Schemes while about P200 million is for infrastructure development at Pandamatenga including the Zambezi agro-commercial project.

Under Research Programmes, he said, P14 millon is required for the construction of employees housing at various agricultural research ranches and for activities under NFTRC.

Mr De Graaff who is also MP for Ghanzi South, said P10 million is required for the completion of BCA expansion whilst about P5 million is required for the procurement of a liquid Nitrogen Plant and accessories for the Ramatlabama Artificial Insemination Centre.

He also requested about P130 million under the Animal Disease Emergency Control Programme for the completion of re-stocking of the areas in Zones six and seven that were affected by Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak last year. He said part of the funds would be used for the construction and maintenance of cordon fences. ENDS