Africa-Press – Botswana. Successful offtake and implementation of Temo Letlotlo will pave way for Thuo Letlotlo, another programme aimed at further reinvigorating the agriculture sector and taking it back to its former glory days where it contributed handsomely to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Moshupa/Manyana Member of Parliament Mr Karabo Gare told Tshwaane residents during a kgotla meeting he addressed in the village on Tuesday that Thuo Letlotlo, which would target the livestock sub-sector, would ensure that Batswana drew the most out of their animals, particularly cattle.
“Thuto Letlotlo is in the offing and through it, it is expected that farmers reap the greatest returns ever from their cattle,” he said. “Lenaneo le le a go tlhomamisa gore re akola kgomo ya rona,” he added, stating that presently, European Union (EU) market that Botswana sold its beef to reaped greater returns from it than Batswana themselves, a state of affairs that he said reduced local farmers to mere ‘cattle herders’.
MP Gare thus urged farmers to wait in readiness to benefit from the programme, saying President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s determination to revive livestock farming should embolden them to render their best effort to their livestock keeping endeavours.
He said Dr Masisi’s rams and bucks initiative, on whose trails followed the bull donation programme were testament of his commitment to revitalise the livestock sector, and encourage Batswana plying their trade within the sub-sector to not relent on their efforts to push the country towards self-sufficiency in food.
Regarding Temo Letlotlo, Mr Gare appealed for patience , saying the current ploughing season being the programme’s very first in terms of implementation, was not surprising that it was encountering a couple of teething problems.
He therefore urged beneficiaries not to despair, and assured them that government would continuously fine-tune the programme to a point where its implementation would be smooth and seamless.
In an unrelated matter, Mr Gare implored Tshwaane residents to register for the general elections billed for October.
He said partaking in the polls was every citizen’s constitutional right to determine the direction they wished their country take. “It is your constitutional right. Use it to safeguard the peace that you are currently enjoying,” he said.
An official from the Department of Crop Production Mr Kgakololo Bafaletse encouraged Temo Letlotlo beneficiaries to support the programme and ensure its success by cooperating with those charged with its implementation.
Commending Tshwaane residents for being exemplary in this regard, Mr Bafaletse urged Batswana to note that the programme was among the many government initiatives through which poverty’s stranglehold on many households could be broken.
Mr Panaka Panaka appealed for land boards to hasten to allocate the youth ploughing fields so that they too could benefit from the programme.
Kgosi Motshamekalebera Baiteri of Tshwaane encouraged residents to take part in the ongoing voter registration exercise.
He said while the exercise coincided with the start of Temo Letlotlo, it was crucial that they gave voter registration greater attention for now as the period that had been set aside for it was short.
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