Africa-Press – Botswana. Government continues to revolutionise the agriculture sector in order to attain food security.
Vice President Slumber Tsogwane said this at the launch of Temo Expo and other initiatives in Sebele on Wednesday.
Mr Tsogwane said a number of initiatives have been put in place by National Agricultural
Research and Development Institute (NARDI) to assist farmers make appropriate decisions in farming amidst current challenging climatic conditions.
In that regard, he said the Temo Expo envisaged to improve efficiencies in agriculture and share insights on a wide range of issues such as products and services related to agriculture, innovative technologies, machinery, equipment, and services for the agricultural industry.
He said the establishment of Botswana National Technology Laboratory for Agriculture (BONATLA), an enterprise by NARDI and African Agriculture Company would promote sustainable farming practices through research, innovation, and collaboration in equipment development and services.
“I implore you to continue exploring additional ways of enhancing agricultural productivity through adoption of technologies very relevant and affordable to local farmers,” he said.
Mr Tsogwane stated that it was important to create enabling environment for youth agribusinesses. In that regard, he said the Lamp Serge and Inter – Regional Agriculture Symposium was in the right direction to capacitate youth on industrializing agriculture.
He said the Stanbic Bank Accelerator Programme was intended to facilitate youth access to finance in agriculture value chains. “This initiative will hopefully motivate other financial institutions to participate in the financing of agribusiness initiatives by youth,” he said.
Mr Tsogwane also called for the development of agriculture in an integrated fashion through the value chain approach and to catalise mushrooming of clusters around the prioritised value chains to achieve economies of scale and shared costs.
He implored farmers to treat agriculture as a business and maximise returns, adding that Temo Letlotlo programme was designed to facilitate this transformation and encouraged Batswana to participate in making the programme a success.
Agriculture Minister Mr Fidelis Molao highlighted NARDI’s crucial role in Botswana’s agricultural renaissance, emphasizing how the organization acts as a catalyst for transformation and sustainable development through innovative interventions.
Molao noted that NARDI’s strategic initiatives and forward-thinking approaches are shaping the future of the country’s agricultural sector by fostering innovation and promoting sustainable practices. He underlined the importance of collaborations to leverage diverse expertise and resources, ultimately driving monumental progress in agriculture.
Partnerships with entities like Lamp Serge, Stanbic Bank Accelerate, and African Agriculture (Pty) Ltd have been instrumental in NARDI’s efforts to propel Botswana towards industrialisation.
These collaborations, including the Industrialisation Workshop for Youth Incubation involving resources from regional entities like Milele Agro-processing, BEDCO Lesotho, and the Pan-African Bean Research Alliance (PABRA), have yielded successful outcomes as seen in the Temo Expo launch.
The Ministry of Agriculture, in alignment with NARDI’s mission, continues to foster an enabling environment for innovation, technology adoption, and sustainable practices. The collective vision is to cultivate a resilient, competitive, and thriving agricultural sector in Botswana.
Agriculture Minister Mr Fidelis Molao highlighted NARDI’s crucial role in Botswana’s agricultural renaissance, emphasising how the organisation acts as a catalyst for transformation and sustainable development through innovative interventions.
Molao noted that NARDI’s strategic initiatives and forward-thinking approaches are shaping the future of the country’s agricultural sector by fostering innovation and promoting sustainable practices.
He underlined the importance of collaborations to leverage diverse expertise and resources, ultimately driving monumental progress in agriculture.
In his remarks, Gaborone North MP Mr Mpho Balopi commended the government for initiatives aimed at achieving food security.
He highlighted the positive impact of banning imports of certain food products, leading to substantial cost savings from P632 million in 2018 to 183 million in 2023.
Dr Mbatshi Mazwiduma, the acting board chairperson of NARDI, reiterated the organization’s commitment to propelling Botswana towards industrialization.
NARDI is currently implementing a Change Management Strategy to address challenges such as drought, enabling farmers to optimize production. The organization’s core mandate of fostering innovative and transformative agriculture aims to guide farmers towards improved.
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