Cassava production favourable for northern Botswana
Baboki Kayawe | Tuesday June 7, 2016 15:44
The secretariat last month asked the region to consider scaling up cassava value chain development, commercialisation and access to high growth markets for high quality cassava flour value chain, amidst low maize production due to prevailing dry spells.
The director of crop production in the MoA, Galeitsiwe Ramokapane has however said based on its growth requirements, the possibility of its successful establishment is in the northern parts of the country where rainfall and temperatures are somehow favourable.
This tropical plant requires well-distributed minimum rainfall of about 500mm to as high as 5000mm and growth temperatures range of 25-29 degrees Celsius. It is grown on a wide range of soils but performs best on sandy loams or on deep loamy soils which are moist and fertile.
“However, its viable production will not only rely on agronomic, soil and climatic conditions. As a new crop in the country, successful production of cassava will require the following among others, extensive research,” Ramokapane said.
“Extensive research on its specific agronomic requirement as in management, and suitability to the local environmental and climatic condition viability. The local farmers do not know cassava, in terms of its production and as a food crop,” Ramokapane added.
He is of the view that the regional body must provide funding for a specified period for research and associated initiatives in cassava production, especially in countries like Botswana where cassava is entirely an unknown crop.
It is also essential that countries be funded to research and come up with improved varieties of local crops to combat the effects of climate change, he said.
For cassava to be successfully included in mainstream cropping, Ramokapane stressed the need for farming systems modification to support the diversification from the main staple food crops to the production of cassava.
Further, inclusion of cassava into the local diet as well as its acceptance as a potential substitute of some staple food, he said will be difficult as it is new in the country.
“We cannot ascertain that locals will easily adopt and accept it,” he added.
Ramokapane said cassava production is unlikely to address cereal deficit of the country within a short-term period, as its incorporation into the country’s farming system will be a long-term process.
“The socio-economic analysis for cassava production will be very critical in determining its suitability as a substitute for crops such as maize,” he said.
“The department welcomes the SADC’s recommendation for the sub-region to grow cassava. In countries like Botswana, funding will be required to invest in research on cassava production before the idea can be passed on to the farming communities,” Ramokapane said.
He said without extensive research it will not be easy to convince local farmers, as cassava production will be a new idea.
“We in the department are of the opinion that countries which have favourable climatic and agronomic requirements for the crop should intensify on its production and allow others to produce crops suitable to their areas as by so doing will enhance agro ecological production zones,” he said.