Northeast farmers bubbling with hope despite challenges
Lesedi Mkhutshwa | Monday February 5, 2024 06:00
The north-east region is one of the few expected to receive normal to above normal rainfall between January and March, a period which marks the second half of the rain season. Farmers believe the situation work in their favour.
Tonota, Tutume and Masunga (TOTUMA) Arable and Commercial Farmers Association chairperson, Steven Pillar, told Mmegi that about 90% of the organisation’s members had succeeded in meeting the association's targets for the 2023-24 cropping season.
He said TOTUMA farmers managed to start planting on time despite the delayed roll out of the newly introduced Temo Letlotlo’s programme.
“The programme benefitted only a few of our members as the majority of them desired more than four hectares compared to Temo Letlotlo which mainly assists micro farmers with only four hectares,” Pillar said. “It was challenging to gain an advantage from the same programme if you wanted to plough 10 hectares or more, which is what the majority of our members intended to do.”
Pillar said this was a serious setback for their association, which aims to become a lucrative and commercial organisation.
"We were able to pen a letter to the Ministry requesting a review of the programme for the benefit of all involved," he said.
The chairperson further mentioned that Temo Letlotlo only recognises the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board as a market, even though this avenue offers the lowest prices.
Regarding his personal experience, Pillar said he planted four hectares of maize, 20 hectares of lab lab and 16 hectares of groundnuts.
According to him, the crops are growing quite nicely.
“The groundnuts are in their flowering stage. "The anticipated good rains are a bonus for a bumper crop for the cropping season,” he continued.
Pillar said all plans are going well despite the difficulties he faced with with a boom sprayer shortage. He managed the problem by employing herbicides.
Reuben Buzwani, a communal farmer from Mosojane village, shared the same sentiments with Pillar. He said despite the delayed roll out of Temo Letlotlo, he was able to obtain some seedlings through the programme and managed to plant four hectares. He has plans to increase this to ten hectares.
His crops include both white and yellow maize as he felt that the planting window for groundnuts had passed.
"I had some delays because of the tractor's mechanical issues, but I was able to fix it. “I will offer my tractor services to a few farmers in my village and the surrounding areas, in the hopes of receiving a stipend from Temo Letlotlo," he continued.
Buzwani expressed optimism that the areas would receive adequate rains from mid-February to mid-March.
Tutume-based farmer, Delebaleng Nkaki, told Mmegi she was able to plough 23 of her 30 hectares. Ten hectares went to sorghum, while eight and five went to sunflower and groundnuts respectively.
Nkaki is one of Temo Letlotlo's beneficiaries. She was able to obtain seedlings and is currently awaiting payment of P7,400 for a four-hectare plot.
“Nothing has really changed because we were already receiving P1,800 per hectare prior to the introduction of the new programme,” she said.
She however lamented that the current dry spell in the area is causing some of her crops to wilt.