Republic of Botswana - Gaberones,Botswana
Mr Modukanele said farmers who did not have fields but wanted to use the National Master Plan for Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development could rent the ...
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Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
Ramatlabama Rain Fed Production and Training Farm
GABORONE - The coordinator of National Master Plan for Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development (NAMPAADD) says he is optimistic that the programme will ...
Failure to attend meetings worries MP
Oct. 18 -- By Tshiamiso Mosetlhe MOLEPOLOLE - Minister for Presidential Affairs and Public Administration, Mr Daniel Kwelagobe, has criticised residents of Masilwana ward in his Molepolole South Constituency for not attending kgotla meetings and failing to register for the election over claims that some of them were terminated from destitution programme. Mr Kwelagobe said it was a shame for some Bakwena, who still raise concerns on the streets instead of articulating them in kgotla meetings to get clarifications. He said such people denied themselves their rights and government assistance programmes which were fully elaborated in kgotla meetings. Mr Kwelagobe, who started the meeting more than one and a half hours late, said Batswana culture was getting eroded. He said Botswana has been an envy of Africa in practicing values of freedom of speech, peace and stability, democracy and self-reliance but lack of attendance at kgotla meeting was weakening the consultation ethic. He underscored the fact that kgotla meetings served to disseminate information about development programmes. He said about voter apathy that over the years, Batswana registered for the election without complaints over food rations, saying some were not even receiving any assistance from the government. He said the government had given them freedom and opportunities to vote for any party or representatives of their choice. �Ba batla go rekwa ka dijo go ikwadisa, ke tshwanelo ya lona go ikwadisa��, he said, meaning that some people wanted to be rewarded with food rations if they registered for elections. Mr Kwelagobe also briefed them about shortage of water in Molepolole government�s strategies to arrest the situation. Mr Seelo Modukanele, the agricultural demonstrator in Molepolole, appealed to farmers to register with his office office, the idle fields that they wished to lease out. Mr Modukanele said farmers who did not have fields but wanted to use the National Master Plan for Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development could rent the fields of land owners who were unable to plough. He told the residents about the subsised prices of seeds. Commenting, residents decried shortage of water in Molepolole and reluctance of someo register for the 2009 general election. Mr Poloko Motlhobogwa, the councillor for Sebele, said some companies in Molepolole which he named for allegedly denying their workers permission to register for elections. Employees of such companies started work early and knocked off late. A youth who spoke at the meeting told Mr Kwelagobe that she was denied an opportunity to venture into small stock by a veterinary officer on pretext that she was childish. �Ke lekgarebe gaa kake a disa dipudi�, she claimed the officer said. This means she is too smart and cannot look after goats. BOPA
Farmers fear for the worst (20 December, 2002)
Farmers in Botswana are fearing for the worst as their cattle are dying by the hundreds due to lack of grazing and water. No ploughing has taken place in many areas due to the eminent drought. Should it continue, the situation will depict a bad year for agriculture, the sector that has seen its contribution to GDP drop from 40 per cent at independence in 1966 to 2.6 per cent yet many Batswana depend on it. And with the fading hope of the country ever having a robust agricultural sector, Batswana are looking at the National Master Plan for Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development (NAMPAADD) to salvage the pieces.
Drafted by Israeli consults, TAHAL, the plan is seen as a crucial intervention by government to bring the sector back on its feet and help diversify the country economy currently based on diamond mining.
The year started badly with an outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the Matsiloje area in February. And in order to eradicate the disease, some 12 000 cattle were destroyed and buried at Lephaneng and Rooikop 1 in the North East District.
In a move that was hailed by farmers, then lands, housing and environment minister, Jacob Nkate instructed landboards to allow farmers to drill boreholes in their ploughing fieldsthey and apply for water rights from the Water Apportionment Board.
Following concerns on veld fires, agriculture minister, Johnnie Swartz formulated a fire management policy to curb the problem.
Presenting his ministry’s budget to Parliament, he said the policy was expected to be implemented during 2002/3 financial year.
In March, the NAMPAADD was presented to Parliament and MPs hailed it as one policy that would significantly increase food and dairy production in the country.
Agriculture can be profitable in Botswana with the implementation of the right policies, input of modern technologies and related support services,” President Festus Mogae told a Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) National Council meeting in Gaborone in April.
The plan states that despite unfavourable climatic and physical conditions, current production levels in all the investigated sub-sectors is far below the potential that can be achieved if modest technological and management interventions are adopted. And this explains the enthusiasm exhibited by MPs when they discussed and endorsed the plan.
Legislators Joy Phumaphi (Francistown East), Nkate (Ngami), Tshelang Masisi (Francistown West) and Ronald Sebego (Barolong) welcomed the plan because “it will enhance agricultural production in the country”.
Kgalagadi MP Lesedi Mothibamele said the plan must be extensively publicised and that government must introduce incentives to attract the youth into participating in the agricultural sector.
Palapye MP Boyce Sebetela welcomed the plan, but cautioned that in view of limited resources, government may not afford a simultaneous implementation of NAMPAADD and all other planned developments.
Sebetela, who was then assistant finance and development planning minister, said the agricultural sector should be given top priority supported by a requisite infrastructures in the rural areas.
Maitlhoko Mooka (Moshupa) warned that NAMPAADD would remain a pipedream if land delivery was not improved.
Gaborone North MP Michael Mzwinila said government was making piece meal approach to the development of agriculture because NAMPAADD would only concentrate on arable and dairy farming.
Mompati Merafhe (Mahalapye MP), spoke of farming fatigue among Batswana and attributed it to crop failure, lack of market and poor producer prices.
Agriculture minister, Swartz pointed out that tprivate sector involvement would be encouraged.
He added that highest priority in the development of rainfed farming would be given to areas of high production potential located in Barolong, Balete/Tlokweng, Tutume, Chobe, Ngwaketse-South, Tonota, Tati, Kgatleng, Machaneng and Mahalapye.
Still in April, government offered farmers 25 per cent subsidy on livestock feeds to cushion the effects of drought.
The livestock sub-sector is an important part of pastoral activity in the country and contributes 80 per cent of the agricultural GDP.
In July, Parliament rejected a motion by Okavangao MP Joseph Kavindama calling on the government to substantially increase compensation for farmers whose livestock are killed by predators.
Kavindama had argued that farmers be compensated at market value to save them from impoverishment.
The government started construction of a P1.5 million livestock marketing concentration centre in Selebi-Phikwe.
Director of Animal Health and Production Motshodi Raborokgwe said the facility would be a supermarket for livestock and handle about 500 head of cattle and 640 small stock.
Farmers will bring in animals for sale to interested parties such as butchers, shops and farmers. A network of similar centres will be built across the country.
In August, general manager of Botswana Ostrich Company Chris Bradshaw denied that his company’s decision to slaughter cattle instead of ostriches was a sign that the industry had failed at infancy.
He said the industry was just starting and that the decision was a temporary measure to prevent the expensive equipment from staying idle.
“Botswana’s arid conditions are suited for ostrich farming and there is no reason why the country cannot be the biggest ostrich and ostrich products exporter in the world,” he said.
Zimbabwe commercial farmers convened an impromptu meeting with Botswana government officials to explore opportunities of relocating here.
Then deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Masego Mphathi stated that the white farmers wanted large chunks of land on which they could continue with their farming activities.
“It is a pity that we do not have land. However, we have advised them to get into smart partnerships with the local farmers,” he said.
In October, assistant Minister of Agriculture Pelokgale Seloma regretted that though Botswana was self-sufficient in poultry production, the country was still heavily dependent on neighbouring countries for the supply of most requisites.
These included stock (broiler, hatching eggs and pullets), feeds and equipment.
Botswana imports about 70, 000 tonnes of vegetables a year. It is estimated that the country spent P18 million in the first seven months of 2001 on vegetables imports from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is everybody’s wish that NAMPAADD performs better than previous policies such as ALDEP and FAP, among others. However, the challenges are daunting and require determination by all stakeholders, particularly Batswana for the scheme to succeed.
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