Botswana Couriers Awards Serowe Show Winners

Bonte Seepi | Monday August 7, 2017 17:15

He said they found it fit to work with farmers as Botswana Couriers and Logistics believes that farmers are also their clients. Baitshephi therefore urged farmers to also engage them whenever they need transportation services.

“We know very well that farmers are also our customers. So we urge you that even in the future do not struggle with transportation services whilst we are available to assist. Focus on farming and leave delivering of goods to us, we will do the job for you. Don’t be worried on how we will transport agricultural products because we deliver everything regardless of weight or type. We deliver everything whether cold or heavy,” he said.

Baitshephi said their main mandate is to relieve their customers from logistical services. He said they believe that farmers’ mandate is something else rather than delivering goods. Baitshephi said Botswana Couriers and Logistics intends to become farmers’ trusted partners.

“We wish this relationship could go on as we promise to review what we are providing to farmers. We shall as well impact in food security,” he said.

According to Baitshephi that was not just a sponsorship, but a corporate social responsibility gesture. He said they are giving back to farmers to encourage them to produce more food for the country to have food security. 

He encouraged farmers to utilise Botswana Couriers in return to relieve themselves of transportation stress. He added that they deal with all kinds of transportations including even sensitive projects. For his part, the Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Kgotla Autlwetse applauded Botswana Couriers and Logistics for the sponsorship saying when people do well they should be applauded. Autlwetse added that if all could do better, the country’s economy can improve.

He emphasised that as the government they encourage Batswana to do agriculture for business purposes. He said it is high time other countries show interests in what is produced in Botswana. Farmers also appreciated the awards even though they decried lack of communication by the show organising committee.

When delivering his speech, farmers’ representative, Hennel Kaisara said what Botswana Couriers and Logistics did was applaudable as it was the first time there was a prize-giving for the Serowe Show. He said normally winners are given their prize monies without a ceremony. Meanwhile, Kaisara outlined some of their challenges as farmers saying it is not an easy thing to be a farmer. He mentioned the issue of predators as one of the challenges, saying they buy their animals expensively, but receive less compensation once their animals are attacked by predators. “Can we at least have a permanent solution to this problem or at least receive better compensation because some of us borrow money from CEDA to engage in farming,” he said.

He also decried lack of market as another issue of concern urging the ministry to help farmers so that they can be able to market their products in other countries like Holland and others.

Kaisara also decried lack of communication by the show organising committee saying they only learnt that this year there won’t be prize monies for the winners but just trophies at the last minute.

He said: “You need to know that when you start something there are high expectations. Farmers have not been given their dues for last year prizes as we speak but still they came here. Farmers are not respected they are taken lightly because even this year we were only called at the last minute to be informed that this year there won’t be money but trophies. Honesty is the key to success”.

He also decried Value Added Tax as another issue that tortures the agricultural sector pleading with the government to atleast relook at it and see if it cannot be reduced. Wayside Brahman Stud scooped most of the awards followed by Rocky Greek from Tuli Block under the proprietorship of Larry Maswikili (pictured).