Moremedi happy with NAMPAADD progress (3 September 2007)

GABORONE - The coordinator of National Master Plan for Arable Agriculture and Dairy Development (NAMPAADD) says he is optimistic that the programme will achieve its goals.
Speaking during a one-day NAMPAADD stakeholders workshop at Sebele on Friday, Mr Gagoitsewe Moremedi said although much has not been achieved, he was optimistic that the programme, which has a horizon implementation period of 10 years, will pass the litmus test.
NAMPAADD was started in 2003 after a consultancy study to investigate the constraints affecting the three agricultural sub-sectors in which Botswana has been underperforming. These sub sectors are dairy farming, irrigated agriculture and rain fed farming.

He said phase one of the programme at Ramatlabama Rain Fed Production and Training Farm (PTF), NAMPAAD has recruited 64 pilot farmers, trained 155 extension workers and trained 334 farmers on minimum tillage, spacing density, sowing techniques, fertilisation, weed control, use of hybrid seeds and soil sampling.

Mr Moremedi said phase two has a selection of 34 pilot and seven model farmers while 177 farmers and 375 extension workers were trained.

He, however, outlined the challenges facing rain fed agriculture, which he said are; high costs of production input, inadequate cooperation and collaboration between the project and technical departments of the ministry and other stakeholders, inadequate practical skills and lack of appropriate machinery.

Regarding irrigated agriculture in both phase 1 and 2 of the project, Mr Moremedi said a Production and Training Farm (PTF) was established at Dikabeya and Glen Valley and demonstration of six production technologies were made while selection and technical assistance to 18 pilot farmers in four regions of Gaborone, Central, Francistown and Southern were made.
A total of 85 extension workers and 101 farmers were trained. Dikabeya, he noted, produces high quality vegetables and have annual planting programme in accordance with market requirements. Glen valley introduced non-traditional crops like potatoes, cucumber, lettuce and olives.

The challenges facing this programme, he said, include delays in establishment of PTFs, low adoption of promoted techniques and high cost of production due to expensive inputs and other factors.

Meanwhile, dairy farming established at Sunnyside has to date procured 98 pregnant heifers with 89 cows in milk production. An average production per cow per day is 33.7 litres.

This area is also faced with challenges such as high capital investment, inadequate/lack of diary feeds, high prices of feds and low adoption of technologies.

Mr Moremedi said as a way forward, there was a need to expand and extend NAMPAADD promoted technologies to the identified priority areas to provide a wide range of production inputs and other supportive services.

He also called for the promotion of the establishment of regional agricultural serve centres in strategic production areas by private sector and facilitation of the establishment of agricultural insurance schemes as well as the improvement of technology at PTFs. BOPA