08 Oct 2026

Zambia Higher Commissioner to Botswana, Ms Pamela Chisenge, has called for the development of regional value chains for agricultural commodities and urged African countries to leverage each other’s production strengths to bolster trade.

Speaking during the second instalment of the Farmers Awards, dubbed the Farmers Gala Golden Hands Awards, in Lobatse, Ms  Chisenge said African countries must develop comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreements, a shared direction and strong readiness to act to boost agricultural production.

She highlighted the need for value addition to agricultural commodities, reduction and removal of barriers to intra-African trade, and creation of a larger market for African goods and services.

“We must be realistic and maximise on the comparative advantages that countries have. If another country can competently produce a commodity then the other must focus on another commodity so that resources are not wasted by producing something that the other country could otherwise get cheaper from another country,” she said.

Ms Chisenge noted that most African countries faced similar challenges in the agriculture sector, with farmers mostly applying conventional methods.

She said it was important to change the narrative by unlearning old methods that were no longer useful while relearning and upholding good farming practices, including organic farming.

She highlighted that Botswana and Zambia had over the years enjoyed cordial relations, adding that the two countries had undertaken benchmarking visits and collaborated with the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, particularly on developing phytosanitary standards.

The initiative, she said, would enable the two countries to support each other in importing and exporting commodities.

For his part, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Botswana, Mr Oleksiy Syvak, commended award recipients for their hard work in farming, saying their efforts contributed to food security.

He said Ukraine was well known as the food basket of Europe, producing massive surpluses of grain and oilseeds for the global market.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Mokganedi Mokapasetso, said Botswana targeted reducing the high import bill in the agriculture sector through implementation of the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme, under which agriculture was a priority area and one of the premier economic engines.

Under the programme, he said, government had set a non-negotiable True North target of increasing agriculture’s contribution to Gross Domestic Product from two per cent to between six and 10 per cent in the next few years.

Dr Mokapasetso said government was committed to growing the sector through investment in infrastructure in remote areas, development of roads, use of solar energy grids and improvement of water reticulation in designated agricultural clusters. He added that government had an ambitious target of increasing the national herd.

“Through the Botswana livestock commercialisation project, our target is to achieve a target of 5 million cattle by 2030. Government is actively modernising reproductive technology, and upgrading small stock genetics to dominate export markets,” he said.

For his part, Peleng East Councillor, Mr Bafo Monakwe, said government had taken a decision to revise the policy on subsistence farmers’ assistance packages and scale down hectares planted to reduce wastage and ensure optimal production.

He said it was high time African countries came together to agree on imports and exports of agricultural commodities, with a focus on each other’s strengths. He also encouraged farmers to comply with Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) restrictions and support government efforts to win the battle.

On other issues, he said Botswana was working towards the production of industrial hemp as part of its economic diversification drive, which he noted had proven to yield high dividends in some Southern African countries.

The awards were held under the theme: From Legacy to Leadership: The Rights of an African Farmer.

Mr Basimanyana Masire scooped the Golden Patriarch Rancher Award, while Ms Basadi Molelekeng was awarded Best Woman Farmer. Ms Bangu Mpharitlhe received the Next Golden Hands Agri-Preneur Award, while the Golden Mokenti Award of the Year went to Mr Boikobo Ramogala.

The Golden Anchor in Agriculture went to Mr Piet Strachan, while Mr Leruo Gare attained the Golden Agro-Aesthetic Award. The Venter Family scooped the Golden Granary Industrialist Award, while Mr Paul King received the Golden Inclusive Agri-Business Leadership Award.

Mr Disang Lekgowe received the Agri-Tech Pioneer Award, Ms Lopang Ntombela the Golden Pastoral Vanguard Award and Mr Oteng Legadiko the Golden Avian Industrialist Award. ENDS