23 Mar 2014

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi has urged farmers atf Semotswane to introduce row planting as their method of planting so that they could gain more yields.

Speaking at a kgotla meeting on March 21, Mr Molebatsi said farmers in the northern region were still lacking behind in changing planting method from broadcasting to row planting method.

He said row planting would enable them to benefit more as the government would provide them with seeds and necessary fertilizers and herbicides that would also enhance their plants growth.

Mr Molebatsi said their research showed that farmers who used row planting methods had more yields as  one hectare could produce at least 85 bags of  outcome yields compared to the broadcasting method.

The assistant minister pleaded with villagers to practice row planting method, adding that if farmers use row planting methods in the next ploughing season Botswana could become self-sufficient in food as for now the country depends on Australia for the supply of sorghum and beans.

He also said that farmers should practice the methods as they are also paid through the ISPAAD programme and beans prices have also increased.

Farmers were urged to take farming seriously as they are nearer to water resources hence could grow crops such as potatoes nearer the Shashe river using the irrigation method to water their plants.

Mr Molebatsi also said that Semotswana village is nearer to Francistown as such they could find market for their crops in town.

He however advised farmers to bench mark on dairy farming with the assistance of bank loans and CEDA programmes because dairy business is very scarce among Batswana.

He said the country needs to be self-sufficient in milk production so that it could sell to other countries. Botswana, he said, consumes almost 60 million litres of milk but produces only 5 million litres and the rest is imported from neighboring South Africa.

VDC chairperson, Mr Masilo Maja acknowledged that indeed they were behind in the improvement of their ploughing methods but said that it was due to lack of resources such as tractors.

He said that farmers in the village are much willing to practice row planting and the few that have managed to do so have yielded more mealies this year.

Mr Maja also complained of the distance to the veterinary offices to get medicines and that due to the closure of Tonota abattoir, they are struggling to transport their cattle to Francistown BMC.

Addressing the farmers concern, Mr Molebatsi assured farmers that the abattoir would be re-opened soon and also mentioned that they have introduced the ear tag for cattle which wouldl be done freely for farmers until the end of year.

He said that farmers would be able to buy the ear tags at a reasonable price and also informed them that BMC Francistown would be able to sell meat to their European Union markets as they have now met the requirements needed by EU. ENDS