Tonota women pioneer coffee farming in Botswana

No Image

TONOTA: Two women in Tonota are successfully pioneering coffee farming in Botswana.

Elizabeth Selogelo 58 and Motlalepula Raditshaba 57 are in their second season of commercial coffee farming after planting last year. The two have been farmers since their teens. At the recent Tonota Agricultural Show, experts and patrons were surprised when the two displayed their coffee products.They held a coffee-tasting session for the attendants at the show. By the look of things, it was good coffee as people kept coming for more and asking where they can find such pleasant tasting and fresh coffee.

Selogelo said that she planted the coffee beans after she got them from a woman who said that she picked them at Impala Agricultural Research offices in Francistown."I introduced the coffee to my sister Raditshaba. We are married in the same family and we decided to plough it for business. We started with four hectares last year and took the products to the agriculture show here and people loved it. That is when we realised that it can be a good business for us," she said.Selogelo said that this year they want to plant five hectares because the demand is high and planting coffee is easy because the beans do not need much watering.

Editor's Comment
Stakeholders must step up veggie supply

The Ministry of Agriculture, local producers, retailers, and industry associations must work together to overcome the obstacles hindering vegetable production and distribution.This collaborative approach is essential to improve the availability, quality, and affordability of vegetables in the market.Firstly, the Ministry of Agriculture should provide support and guidance to local farmers to enhance their productivity and efficiency. This could...

Have a Story? Send Us a tip
arrow up