Kedikilwe urges for competitive agriculture sector
Keikantse Lesemela | Friday August 29, 2014 16:08
Officially opening the national agricultural show on Wednesday, Kedikilwe said the sector plays a pivotal role in life therefore the sector must be competitive despite the challenges.
“Agriculture plays a pivotal role in our livelihoods and we therefore have to live up to the dream of striving to make the sector competitive amidst the challenges we face,” said Kedikilwe.
Agriculture sector performance is limited by climatic changes including scarce rainfalls and lack of proper infrastructure and skills.
He said the government has over the years made deliberate efforts to develop coherent agricultural programmes and reviewing existing ones to conform to the invention of technologies.
“The adjustment is in keeping with the on-going regional and international debate affecting the development of the agriculture sector such as the impact of climate change on agriculture,” he said.
Botswana requires 300,00 metric tonnes of cereal annually, including rice and wheat. With the modern production technologies that can give a yield of three tonnes per hectare, it requires only 100,000 hectares to produce enough cereals for the country. This is from about 600,000 hectares of land that has been allocated as arable land nationwide.
Kedikilwe said government is determined to produce enough food for the nation through initiatives such as the clustering principle under the Integrated Support for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD). Currently, there are 31,348 hectares in clusters while additional 34,048 hectares are being developed.
“Such clusters are at different stages of implementation. The total area to be clustered will therefore be 65,000 hectares. The current Pandamatenga area is 50,000 hectares. He said on completion of all the clusters under development there will be some 115,000 hectares that can be farmed commercially in arable production.
He explained that the ISPAAD initiative is bearing fruit as the cereal output was only 55,000 metric tons when the programme was introduced in 2008 and has currently increased to 118,000 metric tons in 2011 and this year the cereal harvest is expected to be 200,000 metric tonnes.
The development of the Zambezi Agro-commercial project is also expected to add another 30,000 ha of land for arable production, part of which will be irrigated. The project is also expected to enhance private sector participation in agri-business.
“All stakeholders, that is government, farmers, business entrepreneurs in agriculture, investors and the whole of the private sector, suppliers and consumers, need to come together to take stock of ourselves and everyone to play their part accordingly in order to take this sector forward,” said Kedikilwe.
Kedikilwe noted that inadequate infrastructure is still a major problem that hinders agricultural production in the country.
“Government developed the Agricultural Infrastructure Development Initiative (AIDI) in 2006 which has not benefited from a full implementation because it came at a time when the economy was experiencing a decline. I must however assure farmers that government has not abandoned the initiative,” he said.
Furthermore, he noted that horticulture development incorporates a policy determination that, as appropriate, whenever water sources like dams are developed, land be set aside for irrigation. The P1.74 billion Lotsane and Thune dams will irrigate over 600 hectares.
“To further anchor horticulture development with definitive off take, the Botswana Horticulture Market will be changed from the current agency model to a wholesale set up,” he said.
He added that the horticulture processing plant being set up by the Selebi Phikwe Diversification Unit (SPEDU) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture should also promote value addition and development of a strong horticulture industry.
“Government continues to encourage formation of farmers’ associations which can improve efficiency and reduce extensive farming costs as farmers can benefit from the economies of scale if they are organised into operational units,” he said.