Government has adopted a new arable agricultural programme, which will replace the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture (ISPAAD).
When delivering the State of Nation Address today, President Mokgweetsi Masisi said that the new programme will be introduced in June 2022 and is envisaged to increase agricultural productivity, and improve food security in the country.
Masisi said the new programme will enable a higher number of farmers to increase production.
“The new changes entail a clustering system, which will reduce expenses, facilitate the provision of services, such as, electricity and water along clusters. In the long run this new programme will facilitate commercialization of farming in Botswana.”
He said that currently, Botswana has a storage capacity of two hundred and one thousand metric tonnes (201 000 mt) of grain, with silos located in Francistown, Pitsane and Pandamatenga.
He also added that Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) is building additional silos in Pandamatenga with a capacity of sixty thousand (60 000) metric tonnes. “This will bring the country’s total national capacity to two hundred and sixty one thousand (261 000) metric tonnes.”
He said that the country’s grain production stands at one hundred and nine thousand (109 000) metric tonnes, against three hundred thousand (300 000) metric tonnes of national demand. “The 64 percent deficit presents an opportunity for our local farmers to meet the local demand,” he added.
Its unfortunate that since,the present government is focused in giving all new initiatives and programs to the youth, potential adults are left behind.
So as we continued to curse this dangerous curve, we are happy that most initiatives fail.
So since then adults deny their siblings the privilege to use their lands/fields as we got high hopes that government will one day think just better not bitter.