The Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) is adamant that its upcoming inaugural BUAN Farmers Market will give local farmers an opportunity to penetrate markets with their agriculture products. BUAN Vice Chancellor Professor Ketlhatlogile Mosepele – while briefing the media about the farmers market on Wednesday – said it is an initiative that is perfectly aligned with its mission to foster entrepreneurial growth within the Agriculture and Natural resources sectors.
BUAN will host its inaugural BUAN Farmers Market on 8th December 2024 and from there it will convene on the first Sunday of every month.
Through this market, BUAN also intends to create a hub of entrepreneurship in the Agriculture and Natural Resources ecosystem in Botswana.
Prof Mosepele said as a specialised institution, primarily in food production systems, and secondarily in sustainability, BUAN is a premier destination for those who want to make an impact in these fields at all levels—Nationally, Regionally and Globally. “It is envisaged that the BUAN Farmers Market will give Batswana, particularly the youth, an opportunity to network, partner, conceptualise and create business enterprises in the food production sector. Undoubtedly, some of these will fulfil government’s strategy, to create business entities that have export capacity of homegrown agricultural produce,” declared Prof Mosepele.
Furthermore, he said entrepreneurship is one of BUAN’s four (4) strategic pillars; buttressing that as part of implementing this pillar, BUA nurtures its students into future business leaders in the Agriculture and Natural Resources sectors.
“This is realised through hands-on training, practice, and mentorship with some of our strategic stakeholders,” he added.
This is an Incubation programme and Prof Mosepele said the 3-year INCU-HIVE programme is testament to a robust execution of Entrepreneurship in BUAN. They currently host 42 incubates across various enterprises, such as Vegetables, Herbs, Mushrooms, Broilers and Layers and Piggery, among others.
According to Prof Mosepele, in the short term, this incubation programme will expand to include Aquaculture, Apiculture, and small stock production, thanks to a partnership with the Ministry of Youth and Gender Affairs.