Lemang Dijo lags as season progresses
Opelo Rakereng | Wednesday January 14, 2026 06:00
December is traditionally the midpoint of the country’s cropping season, when farmers should have ploughed and planted, awaiting crop maturity in the months towards May.
The new Lemang Dijo programme, which provides various inputs such as tillage and seeds to farmers for up to one hectare, aims to increase agriculture’s share of national GDP by six percent and boost exports by 3.8 percent.
According to the ministry’s figures, as at December 2025, 116,316 farmers countrywide were registered for the programme, of which 92,498 were farm owners, and 42,808 were farmers operating on leased land.
However, by the end of December, only 40,443 or a little over one-third of farmers had been issued with e-vouchers. The e-vouchers enable farmers to access the various free and subsidised inputs, including goods and services, under the programme.
The e-voucher comprises tillage, seeds/harrowing, pesticides, shelling and threshing amounting to P2,900, as well as beehive support for those who need it up to a maximum value of P1,500. Total support per farmer per hectare under Lemang Dijo is therefore P4,400. The programme also provides risk insurance for beneficiaries.
According to updated January figures, Mahalapye had the highest number of vouchers issued at 4,526 vouchers followed by Goodhope, Tutume, and Letlhakeng. Tlokweng had the least issued vouchers at 57.
Experts expect that the slow issuance of e-vouchers will affect farmers and crop yields, hampering national food security amidst the bountiful rains that have generally been experienced countrywide.
Lemang Dijo was designed to back up and improve past subsidy programmes such as the Arable Land Development Programme (ALDEP) and the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD). The ministry stated that the new programme seeks to transform Botswana’s agriculture into a 'diversified, resilient, export-oriented sector' that ensures food security.
As per the ministry, farmers issued with the grants are expected to keep records of their production, loss replacement and sales. This is to ensure that farmers are responsible for their maintenance. The government further argued that by limiting Lemang Dijo to one hectare, the programme seeks to 'amplify productivity whilst facilitating manageable production levels.'