the monitor

Agriculture sector’s downtrend continues

Trying times: The El Nino phenomenon is expected to return this year, drying up the rain season and raising the occurrence of heat waves
Trying times: The El Nino phenomenon is expected to return this year, drying up the rain season and raising the occurrence of heat waves

Worries are mounting as Botswana’s agricultural sector continues to be buffeted by year in and year out crop and livestock failure rates, limiting its contribution to the economy.

Between its prime years as the country’s central economic activity, the contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has dropped from 40% in 1966 to just three percent last year.

GDP is a widely used measure of economic output and activity. While government has mounted sterling efforts to resuscitate the sector, these have been met with growing climate challenges.

Editor's Comment
Public servants deserve better than union infighting

‘The strongest bond of human sympathy outside the family relation should be one uniting working people of all nations and tongues and kindreds’.- Abraham LincolnUntil then, the Council’s operations remain suspended, delaying critical decisions affecting thousands of public sector employees.The current standoff is between the Manual Workers Union on one side and the Six Cooperating Trade Unions, namely BONU, BOPEU, BTU, BDU, BOSETU and...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up