Africa-Press – Botswana. The Moiyabana Integrated Farm, a flagship community project intended to empower unemployed youth, women, and people with disabilities, is facing significant delays in becoming fully operational.
Answering a question in Parliament on Monday, Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs, Ms Lesego Chombo said the project, located in the MOTHAMO area, had seen a substantial investment of P6.5 million since the 2021/22 financial year. She explained that the initiative, which began with the granting of 45 hectares of land to the then Ministry of Youth, Gender, Sport and Culture in 2011/12, remained undeveloped for nearly a decade until a budget from the Youth Development Fund was allocated in 2020/21.
Ms Chombo noted that the goal was to provide integrated agricultural opportunities for residents of Moiyabana, Thabala, Mogorosi, Sehunou, Mabou and Motshegaletau.
Despite the hefty investment, which had been used to build extensive infrastructure, she said the core farming activities were not yet operational.
Meanwhile, the minister revealed that progress had been made on several fronts, including the installation of a perimeter fence, the rehabilitation of a borehole and the construction of numerous structures.
She said the structures included five poultry houses with a combined capacity of 6 400 birds, three shade nets for horticulture, a piggery house and three large fish ponds.
The minister further said a campsite with five-tented houses had also been completed.
She said the poultry, beekeeping, piggery and horticulture projects were all awaiting the release of funds before they could begin operations.
The minister attributed this delay to a lengthy ministry rationalisation process and the recent suspension of issuing Government Purchase Orders (GPOs) to curb new government expenditures.
She said the necessary funding for stocking the facilities was expected to be released once the ban on GPOs was lifted.
Ms Chombo further confirmed that while the project had not yet reached its full potential, it had already created temporary employment for 377 locals from the MOTHAMO area, who had worked as casual labourers, temporary guards and skilled artisans.
She said the long-term vision was for the farm to not only create permanent and temporary jobs, but also contributed to skills transfer and improved nutrition in the region.
Upon commencement, she said the project was projected to employ 120 youth, women and people with disabilities, with that number expected to grow as production increased.
To ensure effective management, she said a task team led by the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs, had developed draft governance tools for the farm.
Ms Chombo said the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture were also providing technical expertise to the project.
The minister noted also detailed specific infrastructure, such as two poultry houses for broilers with a 2 000-chick capacity and three for layers with an 800-bird capacity.
She said the second piggery structure and a pack house for processing produce were currently at foundation level and were expected to be completed in the current financial year.
The project also included three fishponds measuring 31mtimes16m. The minister was responding to a question posed by Serowe North MP, Mr Leepetswe Lesedi who had asked the Minister of Youth and Gender Affairs to provide information on the Moiyabana Integrated Farm, specifically its progress, achievements and when it started.
Mr Lesedi also requested a statement on how much had been spent on the project and how local people and youth were benefiting.
He further inquired about the progress of the poultry, beekeeping, piggery, and horticulture projects at the farm, asking if they were fully operational and, if not, the reasons why.
The MP also asked what the ministry intended to do to remedy the situation.
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