'Calling on all tractor owners ...'

MARANYANE NGWANAAMOTHO
Staff Writer | Wednesday November 10, 2010 00:00

The Director of Crop Production, Khaliso Phokedi says to qualify for registration and payment, tractor owners must own a full range of good quality farming implements such as ploughs, planters and harrows.  Phokedi says tractor owners and farmers must fill practical completion certificates only after ploughing has been completed and field staff have verified the work to be of an acceptable standard. Payments will then be processed. 

Phokedi, who was speaking in an interview with Mmegi, says this is one of several ISPAAD components that encourage increased crop production. 

She says since its inception in the 2007/2008 ploughing season, ISPAAD has recorded three times more from areas planted, while farmers' participation increased by 11 percent.

The figures for that season are 103,701 ha cultivated and 89,000 participating farmers.  For 2008/09, cultivated land increased to 298,315 ha, while the number of farmers rose to 95,685. In the last season, the area planted trebled to 335,166 ha while 105,756 farmers participated. 

Phokedi says crop production increased by six percent in the first season of ISPAAD when 55,072 tons were harvested.

She says in that season, cereal production increased from 15 percent to 27.5 percent of the national requirement when it reached 200,133 tons. 

However, though the government is portraying ISPAAD as a success, there has been public criticism that the programme has failed in some of its components, especially cluster fencing, potable water and access to credit.