Dikoloti admits delays in paying tractor owners
Pini Bothoko | Wednesday November 26, 2025 06:00
Responding to a parliamentary question from Shoshong MP, Moneedi Bagaisamang, Dikoloti said the ministry was fully aware of the delays. He explained that payments were stalled by financial constraints at the start of the season and complications in the Crop Management System (CMS), which processes all transactions under the programme.
He said late registration by some service providers, Know Your Customer compliance requirements, and verification of planted areas further slowed down payments. In some cases, tractor owners reportedly ploughed before registering on the CMS, making it difficult for the ministry to validate the work done.
“However, the ministry and National Development Bank are rectifying the errors to enable reconciliation and payment to the few remaining suppliers,” Dikoloti said.
The minister revealed that the government has poured substantial funds into tillage operations through the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD), now transitioning into the Temo Letlotlo programme. He noted that the return on investment has been inconsistent. Production, he said, has fluctuated over the years, largely due to climate variability, including two consecutive drought seasons, which resulted in zero harvests despite planting.
He also acknowledged misuse of subsidy programmes, citing instances where beneficiaries registered for support but did not carry out planting, despite transactions being logged. This, he said, further inflated programme costs without matching output.
Dikoloti further conceded that his ministry currently lacks a comprehensive agricultural mechanisation strategy. He stated that existing support initiatives, such as subsidised tractor acquisition and the deployment of mechanisation officers across districts, remain fragmented and fall short of providing coordinated guidance.
He stressed that a unified mechanisation strategy was crucial to strengthening production, improving efficiency, and enhancing the agriculture value chain. Such a strategy, he said, should involve all stakeholders from farmers and suppliers to research institutions and NGOs.
In a related ministerial statement, Dikoloti also addressed mounting public anxiety over delays in confirming government support for small-scale farmers ahead of the 2025–2026 cropping season. He acknowledged that early rains and Letsema (communal work) calls by Dikgosi (traditional leaders) had left many farmers uncertain about the availability of subsidies, especially amidst economic pressures faced by households and the government.
Despite the financial strain, Dikoloti announced that the small-scale farming subsidy programme will continue for the upcoming season. Targeting resource-poor farmers, the revised subsidy is expected to reinforce household food security.
“The farming community and the public in general have been anxious with good reason. I am happy to state that, notwithstanding the difficult financial circumstances, the small-scale farming subsidy programme must continue,” he said.
Whilst the government has affirmed its commitment to support farmers this season, questions remain on the long-term sustainability of tillage subsidies, the need for a cohesive mechanisation strategy, and the urgency of resolving administrative challenges that continue to delay payments to service providers.