Africa-Press – Botswana. Tswapong South legislator, Dr Kesitegile Gobotswang, has requested government to invest in rural agro-industries to stimulate industrialisation and revitalise the rural economy.
Dr Gobotswang made the call during a debate on the Revised National Policy on Rural Development, arguing that rural agro-industries had the potential to create employment opportunities for unskilled personnel within the agricultural sector.
He noted that agro-industries constituted a vital link between agriculture and industry and growth in such sectors could provide an impetus for the tertiary sector, including banking, transport and communication.
Dr Gobotswang also argued that lack of local opportunities had forced many young people to migrate to large cities.
“Agro-based industries by raising the income levels of the rural workers can bring significant changes in the standard of living and the social and cultural attitudes of the rural population in general.Further, rural agro-based industries can contribute to the per capita income at the national level. The impact of rural agro based industries can be at the micro level and macro level,” he said.
He further called for prompt allocation of land in rural areas, specifically for agricultural purposes.
Member of Parliament for Ngami, Mr Philemon Aaron, echoed the same sentiments and called for the establishment of agricultural product value-chain processing entities. Mr Aaron argued that the rural economy could not be developed through the primary agricultural sector alone, but rather through value addition within those extractive sectors.
He stressed the need for dedicated interventions to move beyond the existing product range, aiming instead for a repertoire of high-value, high-technology products for regional and global export markets.
Mr Aaron also raised concerns regarding government’s perceived inability to implement many of its manifesto promises.
Kanye West MP, Mr Victor Phologolo, implored government to implement stringent monitoring of rural development projects to ensure their sustainability.
Mr Phologolo stated that project monitoring was of paramount importance and consistent with the country’s aspiration for rural community empowerment.
The aim, he said, should be to draw lessons and put corrective measures in place to ensure long-term viability, as such projects were intended to create much-needed sustainable jobs.
He further highlighted the need for the policy to introspect on how current measures address critical issues.
“There is need for an update on the interventions taken to address poor project implantation and management and government cannot continue to invest on rural development while Batswana do not directly benefit from such investments,” he said.
Similarly, Charleshill MP, Mr Motsamai Motsamai, indicated the need for a suitable model for community-based projects that would effectively uplift the livelihoods of beneficiaries.
Mr Motsamai warned that social protection programs were likely to be overstretched due to famine in many households. He opined that the policy must be more vigilant and strive for prompt response to relieve poverty-stricken communities.
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