Phikwe citrus project to export by 2024
Pauline Dikuelo | Friday May 28, 2021 16:45
The bulk of the produce, or about 70%, is targeted for export to Northern hemisphere markets such as the United States of America, Canada, UK, Europe as well as the Middle East, Asia, China and Japan. The balance will go to the local market and the SADC region while a small percentage will be provided for agro-processing into fruit juice and other products. The P500 million project launched last year occupies 1,500 hectares of land on Mannaesi Farm, which belongs to the Mmadinare Multipurpose Cooperative Society, located on the outskirts of Selebi-Phikwe.
This week, officials at the Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), which is amongst the entities driving the project, said when complete, the project is expected to feature 750,000 trees. The citrus farm will also include the commissioning of four dams, a 12-kilometre water pipeline, construction of four main pumphouses and fitting of pumps. “The project will assist in diversifying the country’s agro-industry, with spin-off effects that will generate other value chain business opportunities,” the BITC said in a statement this week. “The project will transform the landscape of citrus production in Botswana and contribute to economic growth as a whole.
“When fully operational, the project is expected to create 1,000 jobs.” The project was born out of a benchmarking exercise to Blydevallei International South Africa at Hoedspruit Limpopo province in September last year where the Cabinet members and the President witnessed the operations of that company. Byldevallei Citrus investor, Pieter Scholtz is leading the Selebi-Phikwe project with 30% equity held by a group of local investors. According to BITC, the project is in alignment with the government’s strategy to modernise the country’s agricultural sector to boost food security and nutrition in Botswana. “Citrus production and its entire value chain is a sub-sector with tremendous potential for economic diversification and job creation for this country,” the investment and export promotion agency said. As of December, the current annual citrus production in Botswana was estimated at 3,165 metric tonnes, which accounts for under three percent of the local demand. Between 2015 and 2019, an average of 14,800 tonnes of citrus fruits, particularly sweet oranges, lemons, mandarins and grapefruits were imported at an average cost of P77.9 million each year.