Drought assessment due to commence

Maranyane Ngwanaamotho | Tuesday April 8, 2014 11:37

 

On the committee’s recommendations, President Ian Khama, declared 2013/14 a drought year last July, releasing P217.5 million in various drought relief measures up to April 30, 2014.  The measures include stronger support for vulnerable groups, higher Ipelegeng quotas and subsidies for various agricultural inputs.

The year 2012/13 was declared a partial drought year. Last week, Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson, Boikhutso Rabasha, said the inter-ministerial committee was yet to begin its work. “As of now it is too early to tell whether this season will be a drought year or not,” she said, adding that, “the drought assessment committee is yet to take place where conclusions and recommendations are made to be presented to cabinet for it to make a final decision”.

Rabasha added that the ministry conducts continuous assessment from planting to harvest, to be able to combat infestation from pests such as armyworm, quelea and corn cricket.

Agriculture Minister Christiaan de Graaff recently told journalists that the country received good rains during the ploughing season even though they had arrived late, especially in the southern part of the country.

Comparatively, he said, the rainfall situation was better than that of the 2012/2013 cropping season.

During January and February, he said, the country experienced continuous heavy rainfall, which hampered planting processes.

“We therefore had to extend the ploughing season.  Nevertheless, this season is promising to be better than the previous one,” he said. Last year, the inter-ministerial drought assessment committee began its work on April 15 and concluded on May 7, whereupon it submitted a dire report indicating drought across the country. The committee’s scope includes establishing rainfall amounts and distribution and the impact on crop production, as well as the level of human vulnerability and food security.

Rabasha said while the 2013/14 harvest could not currently be estimated, 247,898 hectares had been ploughed by 65,544 farmers.

The ministry registered 171,023 hectares of cereals planted, in which maize was dominant at 97,483 hectares, followed by sorghum with 59,350 hectares and millet at only 14,190 hectares.

The ministry also recorded 39,363 hectares planted of legumes, 12,584 hectares for oil seeds, 19,378 hectares for other crops and 4,568 hectares for fodder crops.