Ineffective Tech Hinders Agric Output

The three- day programme was also meant to reflect on the concerns raised during the first year of the Supply Development Programme (SDP), which falls under the auspices of National Agro-Processing Plant (NAPro) supply chain. As part of the training, farmers were taken through lessons on irrigation methods and their investments costs, sustainability and climate smart agriculture, crop production in controlled environments, managing a seedling nursery, soil health testing, plant pests and diseases, and scaling an agribusiness. Daniel Gareebine, who is a consultant for the programme, highlighted that during the first year of the SDP, they have established that ineffective technologies remain one of the major contributing factors to the low output and poor commercial performance of horticulture farmers in Botswana.

“Farmers do not use best practice farming methods. They do not have access to climate control equipment, access to improved inputs like seeds varieties, fertilisers and, finally, they do not use efficient harvesting and harvest preservation methods,” he said.