Africa-Press – Botswana. Councillors are calling for sensitisation of the agricultural subsidy programme, Lemang Dijo, to ensure maximum uptake by subsistence farmers.
The call was made by councillors during Moshupa District Full Council meeting recently.
While the councillors welcomed the programme, they raised a number of concerns saying the one-hectare ceiling might exclude some family members with large arable fields, delays in e-voucher activation experienced under similar past initiatives including inadequate publicity in remote settlements of some areas in Moshupa District such as Rungwana, Motshwagole and Gasita, among others.
“We welcome Lemang Dijo, but we do not want a repeat of Temo Letlotlo where some of our people only heard about the programme after the application window had closed,” one councillor remarked, prompting the house to direct the District Agricultural Office to roll out kgotla meetings and radio campaigns before the January 2026 deadline.
For his part, Department of Animal Production officer, Mr Othusitse Sebolaakhudu said applications for the Lemang Dijo grant were now open countrywide through the Crop Management System.
He said key features of the programme as outlined, included 100 per cent government subsidy on tillage services and pesticides for up to one hectare per beneficiary, an e-voucher worth P4 400 redeemable for the subsidised services, strong emphasis on technology adoption, integrated crop-livestock-bee farming models, and a primary objective of achieving household food security and reducing reliance on drought relief.
Moreover, Mr Sebolaakhudu stressed that the programme targeted non-tax-paying Botswana citizens aged 18 and above.
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