Agripreneurs urged to hire agric professionals
Monday, August 08, 2022 | 380 Views |
Gorata Lekau PIC: PHATSIMO KAPENG
Different speakers at the just-ended Botswana-South Africa Business Forum expressed the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) graduates are not utilised enough to improve the agricultural sector.
Woolworths country manager, Gorata Lekau said if these experts are hired at the farms, it will improve the produce giving farmers a higher chance of getting a highly profitable market. “Retailers mostly do not comprise in terms of quality, it is high time we have these field workers produce for us and facilitate quality production,” she said.
Whilst celebrating milestones in inclusivity, with notably P5 billion awarded to vulnerable groups, the report sounds a 'siren' on a dangerous and growing trend: the ballooning use of micro-procurement. That this method, designed for small-scale, efficient purchases, now accounts for a staggering 25% (P8 billion) of total procurement value is not a sign of agility, but a 'red flag'. The PPRA’s warning is unequivocal and must be...