Treat farming as a business - Rapitsenyane

JAMES KGOSI
Correspondent | Thursday August 22, 2013 00:00

Giving a keynote address at the NED trade show over the weekend, Rapitsenyane said farming is a big business which requires committed individuals who do not engage in it as a last resort after failing at other career pursuits. He encouraged farmers to double up their efforts and increase production so that the local population can source food locally at cheaper prices, and reduce dependence on food imports.

Rapitsenyane also commended farmers for soldiering on despite setbacks like livestock and crop diseases. He said trade shows give farmers a good opportunity to share ideas and learn from each other, and encouraged them to make the best use of such rare occasions to grow in business. Rapitsenyane encouraged farmers to change their farming techniques and work more closely with the Ministry of Agriculture for guidance on heat tolerant breeds to use so as to better their outputs.

Earlier when giving an overview of the district, NED chairman City Kealotswe said farmers put pressure on the council to hold the trade show. For his part, the District Show chairperson Andrew Balule expressed gratitude at the help they received from the District Commissioner's office when organising the show, which was last held over 25 years ago. 'I would like to thank the District Commissioner's office for being at the forefront of organising this show after over 25 years of absence. We last held the show in the area that is now occupied by police quarters.

'This is our first show in this place which many believed was once used as a refugee camp. In the show's absence we have been relying on farmers' mini-shows. This is indeed an achievement that needs to be applauded,' he said. Balule urged farmers to work hard to improve the quality of their stock as the ones exhibited were of low quality. He however expressed hope that the show will grow in leaps and bounds in the years to come. In his closing remarks, Masunga councillor Robert Zwinila pleaded with the business community to help build permanent structures to enhance the status of the show. He also encouraged show organisers to seek extension of the plot that hosted the show to prepare for growth into the future.