Agric sector set to create 250,000 jobs under NDP12
Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday October 22, 2025 06:00
According to a policy statement on NDP12 delivered to the National Assembly recently by the Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, the new plan aims to position agriculture as a central pillar of the economy, declaring that a new era of innovation, resilience, and value creation has begun.
“We aim to transform the country’s agriculture into a diversified, resilient, and export-oriented sector that achieves food security, reduces imports, and drives economic growth,” he stated. He explained that the plan moves Botswana away from subsidy-driven dependency toward enterprise-driven empowerment, emphasising that the transformation is not merely a policy aspiration, but it is a moral and economic imperative. 'The approach under NDP12 is not simply to seek funds but to build confidence and foster new partnerships in agricultural development. Under NDP12, the agriculture sector is guided by a 'Three-Set Thinking Approach': change management, productivity transformation, and increasing the sector’s economic contribution. This includes growing the national cattle herd to 5 million, raising agriculture’s GDP share from 1.7 percent to between six percent to 10%, and promoting science-based production systems,' he said. Dr Dikoloti highlighted key enablers, including major policy and legal reforms, new financing and insurance models, and greater support for research and development through institutions such as the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI), the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN), and the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI).
He stated that these institutions will also commercialise innovations in vaccine production, fodder, and other technologies. Dikoloti said that public-private partnerships will play a central role, with the private sector expected to support project design, implementation, and operations.
'The plan also targets climate-smart agriculture, the empowerment of youth and women, and sustainable land use through the National Spatial Plan and Spatial Development Code. Land is a key driver of growth as well as increased investment in water infrastructure, including boreholes, rainwater harvesting, and the Agro-Zambezi Project,” he pointed out. According to the policy statement, amongst the five strategic focus areas of the plan are commercialisation and value chain development, land governance, climate-smart practices, digitalisation, and inclusive participation.
Dr Dikoloti highlighted value chains in dairy, livestock, horticulture, apiculture, aquaculture, cannabis, safflower, cotton, and moringa as key to driving exports and job creation, and maintained that the sector will promote high-value and niche commodities with export potential.
'Botswana Vaccine Institute will also be transformed into a multinational player in vaccine production. Other initiatives include the creation of Centres of Excellence, agro-processing investments, and a new Agricultural Bank and Captive Insurance Facility. These are intended to provide insured loans, drought relief mechanisms, and market-based financial products to safeguard farmers,' he said. The Minister said employment creation is also another core goal and that through targeted programmes, they will reverse the trend and create 250,000 jobs by 2029–2030, with emphasis on youth and women, noting that over 5,000 jobs were lost in the sector in 2024 alone.
He stated that the plan includes investment in agricultural infrastructure such as access roads, storage facilities, and laboratories. 'Water access and land restoration will be improved, whilst a national seed bank and input subsidy programme will enhance drought resilience. The privatisation of extension services, adoption of smart technologies like drones and soil sensors, and establishment of innovation hubs are also part of the plan to modernise agriculture,' the minister explained.
Dr Dikoloti also announced reforms at State-Owned Enterprises, including the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB), which will focus on food security and market price stability, and the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), which will enhance livestock marketing and farmer payments.
He outlined eight key performance indicators (KPIs) that will track the sector’s progress, and these include:
*Growing agriculture’s GDP contribution from 1.7 percent to at least six percent
*Increasing agricultural exports from 1.1 percent to 3.8 percent
*Reducing food imports from 21.7% to 13.7% *Creating 250,000 new jobs
*Raising cereal production growth from 11% to 80%
*Growing the cattle population to 4.6 million
*Launching cannabis production to reach 42,000 tonnes by 2029–2030
“These are necessary to realise efficiency, productivity, and value addition,” said the Minister. The minister concluded by urging Parliament to approve the Agriculture Sector Chapter and Key Performance Indicators of NDP12, saying that with Parliament’s continued support, the sector shall transform agriculture into a key pillar of sustainable prosperity for our nation.