GOVT plans to tough new measures to ensure food security

BABOKI KAYAWE
Staff Writer | Monday November 22, 2010 00:00

 

Agriculture minister, Christiaan De Graaff said on Friday at a press briefing on the status of Asian Fruit fly (Bactrocera invadens) confirmed in Chobe Farms mid June this year.

He said food security is an issue of national importance hence the need for collective responsibility - from both farmers and government in its pursuit.

Speaking prior to the rolling out of the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD) to horticultural farmers, De Graaff said his ministry is looking at frequent monitoring and evaluation exercises in addition to increasing its technical support to farmers.

'We will repossess equipment if it is not utilised,' he warned.

The included support for horticulture production under the ISPAAD programme aims at reducing the fruit and vegetable deficit Botswana is experiencing.

Currently out of national demand of horticulture produce of about 75,000 metric tonnes, the country only produces about 30,000.

Meanwhile, the ministry has quarantined Chobe Farms and set up pheromone traps used to monitor the fruit fly numbers and the extent of spread from the farm.

'To date 80 pheromone traps have been mounted in Chobe District, Pandamantenga and Nata-Kazungula road, 20 of which are in Chobe Farms,' De Graaf said, aiding that 19 fruitflies have been caught.

The ministry blamed poor sanitation and farm management by Chobe Farms - the only farm on which the Asian fruit fly has been confirmed - for the outbreak of this evading fly. At the moment, 5350 mangos are being sprayed on a weekly basis as a preventative measure for infestation measure that may arise within the farm.

Other control measures include inspection of host fruits from Zimbabwe, Namibia and Zambia.

Known hosts of the pest are citrus, mango, cashew, papaya, guava, pepper, and several wild host plants including morula, and wild monkey orange (mogorogorwana). Other preferred hosts are watermelons, squash, pumpkin, butternuts, tomatoes, bananas and avocado.