Africa-Press – Botswana. *Government pushes hemp drive to diversify agriculture and industrial growth
*Experts say hemp is the future of nutrition and clean green growth
Botswana is positioning itself to enter the billion-dollar global hemp industry, in a move to diversify agriculture, integrate climate-smart farming and unlock new value chains.
However, authorities have highlighted that the real wealth does not lie in exporting raw hemp, but in building industries that produce finished products for local, regional and international markets.
Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti told a recent inaugural Botswana Hemp Impact Conference 2025, that industrial hemp presents a unique opportunity to complement the country’s agricultural portfolio with a high-value crop that stimulates industrialisation, attracts investment and creates jobs.
Parliament recently passed the Cannabis Bill, which legalised the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis. As a result, hemp has shifted from being a prohibited plant and is now seen as a pathway to a cleaner, more resilient future. Globally, the hemp industry is booming and it continues to expand as countries turn to sustainable alternatives.
“Imagine Botswana exporting hemp-based textile products produced locally, such as; hemp oil, pharmaceuticals and supplements to improve public health. Imagine sustainable hemp trade revolutionising our construction sector and our livestock benefiting from hemp-based fodder. These are not distant dreams, there are possibilities within reach if we invest strategically and if we farm right,” said Dr Dikoloti explaining that the production of industrial hemp won’t be replacing indigenous crops or abandoning the food security mandate.
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