Facebook Feed

  • Khamas form People’s Patriotic PartyJune 1, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw A faction within Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) aligned to the Khama family is hitting the ground running finalizing formation of a splinter party likely to be led by former MP for Palapye Moiseraele Goya. The Patriot […]
  • Battle for Mhlauli’s multi-millionsJune 1, 2023
    STAFF WRITERS editors@thepatriot.co.bw Three years after the passing of former permanent secretary in the ministry of local government, lands and housing  Elvidge Gaedupe Makhunga Mhlauli, his estate remains unsettled due to dispute between  creditors, beneficiaries and lawyers appointed for […]
  • ‘Women poised to dominate mining in future’- Experts June 1, 2023
    ‘Companies ought to break the barriers for women for them to rise to the top in the sector. Companies need objective quotas in place to give them power. They are the future of mining’- Dr Somolekae BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw […]
  • PUBLIC TENDER NOTICE: Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS)May 31, 2023
    1. THE PROVISION OF BIG DATA IMPLEMENTATION AND DATA ANALYTICS FOR 18 MONTHSTender Closing: 16th June 2023 2. SUPPLIES PROCUREMENT OF CISCO COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION EQUIPMENTTender Closing: 16th June 2023 3. PHYSICAL BURS ASSET VERIFICATION, TAGGING AND RECONCILIATION OF […]
  • Vacancy: Choppies Distribution Centre.Pty.LtdMay 31, 2023
    FINANCIAL SERVICES­ – OPERATIONS MANAGER Closing Date: 15th June 2023
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us
  • Login
  • Register
Sunday, June 4, 2023
17 °c
Gaborone
21 ° Tue
22 ° Wed
24 ° Thu
26 ° Fri
The Patriot On Sunday
Advertisement
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
Cart / $0.00

No products in the cart.

  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders
No Result
View All Result
The Patriot On Sunday
No Result
View All Result
Home News

Farmers unhappy with Dikoloti

patriot by patriot
November 20, 2020
in News
242 10
0
Farmers unhappy with Dikoloti
491
SHARES
1.4k
VIEWS
ShareShareShare

Knives are out for youthful Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Dr Edwin Dikoloti whom the unhappy local farmers accuse of neglecting them as stakeholders.

Also, Dikoloti’s colleague MPs cum farmers within Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) and from areas synonymous with pastoral farming swear to pile pressure on the minister and his deputy Beauty Manake, to wake up from a holiday they seem to be  enjoying to talk to farmers’ concerns.

The farmers who are now emerging limping from the heat of COVID-19 are not pleased with the leadership of Dr Dikoloti noting that the minister must come from a hiding rock and face farmers. Due to concerns over deteriorating agriculture sector, farmers could not spare their frustrations over the slow manner in which the ministry is reacting amidst COVID-19 devastation. The most affected are both large and small scale commercial farmers that depend on selling their produce both locally and regionally, whose profits are compromised by the burden of paying tax despite low returns.

Farmers demand that Dr Dikoloti- a Veterinary Surgeon by profession, whom they pinned their hope on as the right man for the job when appointed to cabinet, demand that he rises to the occasion or be relieved of his duties.

In interview, the spokesperson of Chobe Horticulture Growers Association, Solomon Tshenyo said they have expected that the ministry would have been keeping in touch with the farmers. According to Tshenyo, they were shocked when the high ranking official in the ministry, Kgotso Madisa – Chief Horticulture graced their council meeting on Wednesday to make presentations.

“The farmers have been affected by COVID-19 and in this tough times would expect to see the leadership particularly minister interacting with farmers. At the moment we are on own and we will be opening up Francistown market for the farmers in few a weeks,” Tshenyo underscored.

He buttressed that ever since the new dawn of ministry leadership was ushered in, as Chobe Horticulture Growers Association they have never found any weighty help from the ministers.

The farmers affiliated to Mosisedi Commercial Farmers Association in Southern District some of whom hail from Dikoloti’s Mmathethe-Molapowabojang constituency said the minister is missing in action. One prominent farmer who was also one of the vocal critics of former Minister Patrick Ralotsia said as farmers they expected that the new minister will actively engage farmers countrywide.

 “Mosisedi farmers association is one of local strategic agriculture stakeholders when it comes to cereal production in relation to food security. The farmers have been affected by the COVID-19. As worried farmers who hail from Mmathethe we remain clueless over present ministers’ direction for farmers owing to unsolved issues that are still existing,” said the veteran farmer.

Some of the master farmers MPs within BDP have also expressed a discontent on the youthful ministerial headship and the MPs are in full force to take minister to task in next parley session.

In an interview, one BDP backbencher MP who preferred anonymity said farmers in his rich pastoral farming constituency are complaining over lack of resolving beef liberalization issues.

The discontented legislator said the previous agriculture ministers fell out favor with farmers by not displaying esteemed seriousness whilst reacting to repeated concerns raised by farmers.

“As an MP and a farmer I cannot write anything positive about the minister and his assistant owing to contributing with substance in parliament issues affecting farmers. The minister is just rubbing shoulders only with well known farmers as I see on news this week,” said worried MP.

In addition, another MP who was vocal criticizing the agriculture’s ministerial budget proposals for lacking clear targets during budget debates in parliament prior says minister has to deliver.

He said the budget that is allocated to the ministry over the years has been reduced but points out that agriculture sector needs to be fully funded if government wants to create more jobs.

“Farmers are crying that COVID-19 has disrupted their businesses and they have no support. It is up to the minister to ensure proper execution of proposals for the sector as contained in the Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan and he needs farmers to achieve such,” he said.

Government in its economic recovery plans maintain that raising the productivity of agriculture is essential and potentially a source of “quick wins” including enhancing domestic self-sufficiency, improving balance of payment, job creation among others to mention a few. “However, it says care has to be taken not to repeat past mistakes whereby the substantial resources and support that have been provided for agriculture have largely been wasted.

“Performance has been measured in terms of inputs rather than output, and there has been no significant improvement in productivity in key target sub-sectors such as beef and food grains. Also, proposed interventions need to be assessed to evaluate their commercial feasibility; they are included here subject to confirmation that their benefits exceed their costs,” reads a draft.

Efforts to get Dikoloti for comment proved futile as his mobile was off at time of going to print

Related

Tags: dikolotiFARMERS

Get real time update about this post categories directly on your device, subscribe now.

Unsubscribe
  • Khamas form People’s Patriotic PartyJune 1, 2023
    BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw A faction within Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) aligned to the Khama family is hitting the ground running finalizing formation of a splinter party likely to be led by former MP for Palapye Moiseraele Goya. The Patriot […]
  • Battle for Mhlauli’s multi-millionsJune 1, 2023
    STAFF WRITERS editors@thepatriot.co.bw Three years after the passing of former permanent secretary in the ministry of local government, lands and housing  Elvidge Gaedupe Makhunga Mhlauli, his estate remains unsettled due to dispute between  creditors, beneficiaries and lawyers appointed for […]
  • ‘Women poised to dominate mining in future’- Experts June 1, 2023
    ‘Companies ought to break the barriers for women for them to rise to the top in the sector. Companies need objective quotas in place to give them power. They are the future of mining’- Dr Somolekae BAKANG TIRO editors@thepatriot.co.bw […]
  • PUBLIC TENDER NOTICE: Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS)May 31, 2023
    1. THE PROVISION OF BIG DATA IMPLEMENTATION AND DATA ANALYTICS FOR 18 MONTHSTender Closing: 16th June 2023 2. SUPPLIES PROCUREMENT OF CISCO COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION EQUIPMENTTender Closing: 16th June 2023 3. PHYSICAL BURS ASSET VERIFICATION, TAGGING AND RECONCILIATION OF […]
  • Vacancy: Choppies Distribution Centre.Pty.LtdMay 31, 2023
    FINANCIAL SERVICES­ – OPERATIONS MANAGER Closing Date: 15th June 2023
The Patriot On Sunday

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Navigate Site

  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Disclaimer
  • Contact Us

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
  • Home
  • News
  • Business
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Analysis & Opinions
  • Vacancies & Tenders

© 2022 Copyright The Patriot On Sunday - Inspired by Search Mart.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.
Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?