Africa-Press – Botswana. The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture is open to suggestions to enhance existing schemes designed to support the farming sector.
This was said by Assistant Minister, Dr Edwin Dikoloti when responding to enquiries from legislators on Friday.
He said that the intention was to get input from members of the community on how initiatives such as Temo Letlotlo, Thuo Letlotlo and Maja-A-Ikgorosa could be tailored to better suit their needs.
“Getting input from people will ensure that they have ownership of these schemes,” he said.
In that regard, Dr Dikoloti said the ministry had suspended receipt of new applications under Thuo Letlotlo pending reviews to align it with the priorities of the new administration.
He however, said that applications already received would be assessed to their final stages.
On Temo Letlotlo, Dr Dikoloti said that it would not be affected this financial year and that farmers would continue to benefit from all its components.
Concerning the Maja-A-Ikgorosa scheme, he said that it would continue as it was during the current productive season, and that efforts would be made later to broaden its scope.
He also pleaded with legislators to explain to the electorate that having a letter of approval for an initiative was not a guarantee of funding.
“I am aware however, that having a letter of approval can give one a legitimate expectation of being funded,” he said.
Dr Dikoloti stated that that the ministry was reluctant to support method of sowing as it did not give true value for investment.
“What we want is to urbanise agriculture and come up with methods that can guarantee better rewards,” he said.
He also said that the ministry was alive to challenges on these initiatives, such as late payments to suppliers of drought subsidies as well as to beneficiaries.
He was responding after Bobonong legislator, Mr Taolo Lucas enquired on what government planned to do with the agriculture initiatives they found in place.
He said that this was more so that such initiatives were also not devoid of challenges.
“Temo Letlotlo is too technology based, which posed a challenge to the elderly. We also faced shortage of tractors, which led to people ploughing late when the land was already dry,” he said.
Mr Lucas also raised a concern that draught power would no longer be allowed under Temo Letlotlo, which he said would further exacerbate the challenge of late ploughing.
He also enquired on what government planned to do with people who had been approved under the LIMID programme, but were yet to be funded.
Mr Lucas also said that failure by the ruling party to be clear on its plans on these initiatives brought about uncertainty among suppliers of drought subsidies.
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