Tauyagae Farms: Transforming safflower into nutritional, wellness products
Pauline Dikuelo | Tuesday May 20, 2025 13:54
Tauyagae Farms, an innovative agricultural company based in Tonota, has emerged as a national leader in sustainable farming through its pioneering work with safflower, a drought-tolerant, climate-resilient oilseed crop.
Founded in 2012 by Dikakanyo Mmolawa, a former Deputy Commissioner of Prisons, and spouse, Baganetsi Mmolawa, a former English teacher at Gaborone Senior Secondary School, Tauyagae Farms was born from a passion to change farming practices in Botswana. Faced with increasing drought and climate unpredictability, the duo started with a modest experimental plot, driven by a bold vision: to find a viable solution for struggling farmers.
“We knew early on that traditional crops were no longer viable on their own. We wanted to introduce something that could survive the heat and give our people hope and that’s where safflower came in,' Mmolawa said.
Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius) is ideally suited to Botswana’s semi-arid conditions. It requires minimal water, tolerates saline soils, and flourishes where conventional crops such as maize and sorghum often fail. Recognising its potential, Tauyagae Farms invested in research to determine how safflower could be integrated into the country's agricultural systems.
“Safflower isn’t just a crop, it’s a solution,its helping us conserve water, regenerate the soil, and still make a profit.”
A major component of Tauyagae’s success lies in its commitment to farmer education. Through training workshops, field demonstrations, and farmer field schools, the farm has trained over 500 farmers to date many of them women and youth on climate-smart agriculture. These sessions cover topics such as seed selection, soil preparation, harvesting, and post-harvest handling.
“What sets us apart is our hands-on approach. We work side-by-side with the farmers, not just lecture them. That’s why our impact is real and lasting.”
In addition to crop cultivation, Tauyagae Farms adds value by processing safflower into products such as cooking oil, livestock feed, tissue oil, body lotion, green tea, and petal teas. These products are marketed under their wellness brand, Safra Naturals. Inspired by Botswana’s natural abundance, Safra Naturals combines ancient wisdom with modern science to create holistic products that celebrate nature, culture, and conscious living. The brand is already gaining recognition in local markets for its health benefits and eco-friendly production.
Tauyagae Farms’ work has attracted the attention of both local and international stakeholders. With its focus on sustainability, innovation, and inclusivity, the farm is now seen as a model for climate-resilient agriculture in drought-prone regions.
“Tauyagae is more than a farm. It’s a movement. They’ve shown us that we don’t have to give up farming because of drought, we just need to farm smarter.”
Looking ahead, Tauyagae Farms is expanding into more districts and forging partnerships with institutions such as the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI), the Ministry of Agriculture, and various development agencies. Their goal is to position Botswana as a continental leader in climate-smart agriculture, one safflower plant at a time.