Pearls of wisdom from former MoA top technocrat
Zolani Kraai | Friday February 10, 2017 11:29
In those years, Chimbombi and other technocrats battled to restore lustre to the country’s agricultural sector, an industry that at independence was the economic backbone, but has since struggled for national significance.
Despite the billions Government pumps into it annually, agriculture makes a very minimal contribution to the national economy and Botswana is still heavily dependent on other countries for many agricultural products. Farmers, known as the first-borns of Botswana, are a powerful lobby group and have even convinced Government to close borders to certain products. Their critics, however, point out that the farmers get to close the borders even when they cannot satisfy local demand.
Over the years, various policies, programmes and incentives have attempted and largely failed to overhaul agriculture and unlock the potential of the communal farming sector, which presently accounts for the bulk of agricultural activity.
Extreme weather events, particularly persistent and worsening droughts, rural to urban migration and other factors have also limited agriculture’s punch.
On Monday, Finance and Development minister, Kenneth Matambo announced that P983.7 million will be spent on the plethora of agricultural programmes, which include the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Development (ISPAAD), Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development (LIMID), Agriculture Service Support Programme and Pandamatenga Agricultural Infrastructure Development.
For Chimbombi, who was intimately involved in many of the interventions aimed at boosting agriculture, there are solutions.
“Clearly there are many challenges facing the agricultural sector in Botswana in terms of growth and sustainability, but obviously one driving factor is lack of effective utilisation of Government agriculture programmes by Batswana,” he says, while tending to his crops.
For Chimbombi, the trouble is that the programmes are not optimally utilised due to weaknesses in the farmers’ approach to agriculture. The former PS, an agro-economist by profession, believes most Batswana do not utilise land to its fullest potential.
This makes it difficult for Government to effectively support those showing potential, he says.
One tried and tested method of fully utilising land is to use the cluster farming method, of which Chimbombi is a firm proponent. Cluster farming involves several farmers in one area collectively setting up a common holding or fenced-off fields, then pooling together resources such as power, irrigation and labour. Cluster farming, practised by other communal farmers in one form or another throughout the region, enables Governments and NGOs to direct interventions such as irrigation/borehole schemes to groups of farmers, instead of stretching resources from one field to another.
In Botswana, however, cluster farming exists in some form at commercial level in the north east and north west.
“Government’s programmes are relevant but forming clusters or syndicates is the key to admission for some of them. Batswana are encouraged to team up and mitigate some of the challenges as a collective.
“Batswana have the basic agriculture resource which is land, but it is unfortunate that they are not working on it to contribute to the country’s food security.
“Food security in Botswana can only be achieved and sustained if Batswana apply different farming options towards economic development,” the former PS says.
Chimbombi proposes that some farmers consider to lease out their fields to Government for the implementation of cluster farming by others who will then utilise the input programmes available such as NAMPAAD and ISPAAD.
He cites Masasedi and Kgori farms as good examples of cluster farming, saying together with Pandamatenga farms, these will have significant economic impact.
“This will contribute not only to employment creation but sustained incredible food security,” Chimbombi says.
“Effective implementation of cluster farming was one of my unfinished missions during my time at the helm of the Ministry.
“I had intended to facilitate the implementation process through community capacity enhancement forums to ensure that Batswana find a niche in cluster and integrated farming.”
For those that are unable to utilise their lands due to other engagements, Chimbombi’s advice is that they lease out and enjoy the returns, while others work the land.
The former technocrat however, knows that the road ahead for agriculture is fraught with numerous challenges.
One of the major challenges is market viability, a paradox as the country is heavily reliant on imports. However, local produce is often squeezed out of the market or priced at levels below the costs local farmers incur in production.
Chimbombi says young farmers in particular run the risk of abandoning their efforts, due to the challenges of securing viable market space.
“The agriculture sector is the breadbasket of the economy, but limited market for fresh produce is a hindrance to success especially for small-scale farmers,” he says.
“The existing avenues for fresh crops in the country are not viable and those tasked with overseeing the agricultural marketing industry in Botswana must recommend to the relevant ministry the review of import regulations to accommodate local producers.
“South African producers dominate the fresh produce market and this is something many have decried.”
The former PS also believes that while the existing programmes and interventions by Government are welcome, they require robust implementation, monitoring and innovation to ensure success.