Budget leaves farmers underwhelmed

Staple Crop: Sorghum PIC. THALEFANG CHARLES
Staple Crop: Sorghum PIC. THALEFANG CHARLES

Local agriculturalists are unimpressed with the allocations provided for their sector as revealed by Finance Minister, Kenneth Matambo, in his budget speech yesterday.

Matambo proposed P1.34 billion for the Agriculture ministry’s recurrent budget, as well as an unspecified amount under the development budget for the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development and the Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development.

This morning, Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) agronomy manager, Lambani Obuseng said the allocations to farming fell far short of the mark, particularly given the potential the sector had to the economy.

Editor's Comment
Gov’t must rectify recognition of Khama as Kgosi

While it is widely acknowledged that Khama holds the title of Kgosi, the government’s failure to properly gazette his recognition has raised serious concerns about adherence to legal procedures and the credibility of traditional leadership. (See a story elsewhere in this newspaper.) Recent court documents by the Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kgotla Autlwetse, shed light on the intricacies of Khama’s recognition process....

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