Africa-Press – Botswana. Mmashoro Ranchers and Farmers Association chairperson, Mr Keikanetswe Moesi has called for the review of the compensation for the destruction caused by elephants.
Mr Moesi, who was giving an overview of the association at the second edition of Mmashoro Ranchers and Farmers Association field day on May 11, said predators such as lions and hyenas were terrorising livestock while farmers often had to ward off elephants that repeatedly destroyed ranch fences.
Mr Moesi stated that agriculture was the backbone of livelihoods and one should always look to do it as a business and help the country produce food.
Mr Moesi encouraged farmers to take a lead in the economic diversification drive by promoting and implementing various agricultural technologies such as climate smart agriculture.
He said the field day themed: ‘Re Aga Temo-thuo e e sa Hekeediweng ke Manokonoko a Leuba, was meant for farmers to share ideas on how to expand their enterprises and work together.
Mr Moesi said the association was birthed to address challenges faced by farmers in the Mmashoro North area such as the destruction by elephants.
“Farmers harvest nothing, this land is characterised by elephants, which come as a hard blow to us. Once they identify a ranch with water they invade. On their way, they cut and destroy fences leaving the field open for everything that may wish to destroy the crops and boreholes’’, he said.
Mr Moesi said most of the people in the area were poor and agriculture was their only way of life.
He said the moment fences and crops were destroyed, it became difficult for the farmers to replace them as well as provide for families. Mr Moesi also said they were also facing the problem of veld fires which, usually occured during the dry seasons and winter.
However, Chief Wildlife Officer, Mr Letlhogonolo Gadimang, said human-wildlife conflict was a problem in some areas.
He said they had encountered about 50 elephants in the Mmashoro area.
He said the destruction caused by elephants, lions, wild dogs and hyenas was well known and he encouraged farmers to kill the animals it they attacked them and to report to the nearest police station or wildlife office.
Mr Gadimang stated that the elephants came in large numbers looking for water and food during the drought season.
He shared that P26 million had been secured for compensation for farmers that had lost crops or fences due to wild animals. “Currently we have funds for fixing and maintaining fences to help control the elephants and keep them away from the communities’, he said.
Giving keynote address at the event, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Ms Masego Mooketsi said government prioritised the agriculture sector as it had the potential to diversify the economy and improve livelihoods.
She said government was committed to supporting such events as they could help to stimulate economic activity and ensure food security, adding that the event also resonated well with the ministry’s mandate on value chain development and to help build businesses and entrepreneurial ecosystems that would enable businesses to emerge, grow and export.
Ms Mooketsi said it was important for the country to protect, conserve and derive value out of natural and cultural resources.
She noted that it was better to promote a sustainable environment for the benefit of the nation, formulate, implement and monitor environmental conservation policies and strategies rather than to destroy it at all. She said even though the elephants terrorised field and ranches, it was better to find other strategies of living with them.
She said farmers could group themselves and form a trust which they could benefit from like in other villages.
She advised them to be patient because her ministry was planning to do a study at Mmashoro soon.
DAILYNEWS
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