Africa-Press – Botswana. Pandamatenga silos present opportunities for farmers to increase production, promoting value chains and creating jobs, Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship Mr Tiroeaone Ntsima has said.
Speaking during a tour of the silos recently, Mr Ntsima said the 60 000 metric tonnes silos promoted agro production not just in Pandamatenga but the rest of the country by providing sufficient storage.
He stated that following the completion of the silos infrastructure last year, farmers would this year produce optimally without any bottlenecks and fear of suffering harvest losses due to poor storage.
Mr Ntsima also expressed satisfaction with the work that had been put into the project by Special Economic Zone Authority (SEZA) as the funder, adding that it was fitting for Pandamatenga as a special economic zone to have proper infrastructure that attracted investors and cultivated more opportunities for sustainable development.
The minister stated that it was imperative for Botswana to diversify economy beyond dependence on diamonds by developing other industries like agriculture, which presented a great potential.
He said special economic zones were an engine for economic transformation offering opportunities in manufacturing, agronomy, digitilisation, packaging, trade and innovation among others.
For his part, SEZA CEO, Mr Lonely Mogara said Pandamatenga was a strategic place for Botswana to achieve food security due to its suitability for cereal production.
He said the 12 steel silos with a capacity of 60 000 metric tonnes were an addition to the existing 30 000 metric tonnes grain storage silos storing variety of grains which include sorghum, maize, millet, beans and sunflower.
He indicated that the state-of-the-art storage facility incorporated modern technology that preserved grains for longer to meet the demand in a time of scarcity. Furthermore, he stated that the storage facility opened opportunities for food processing and packaging and cushion Botswana from a high import bill.
Mr Mogara said SEZA had 105 hectares piece of land in Pandamatenga set aside for a processing and packaging plant of the grains that would be stored at the silos.
He said talks between Botswana and other Zambezi River Basin riparian states were at an advanced stage regarding the Agro-Zambezi Commercial Project water scheme where farmers would draw water from Zambezi River for irrigation.
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