- farmers advised to properly store their inputs for upcoming season
Temo Letlotlo Programme, government’s new arable agriculture programme, which replaced the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agriculture Development (ISPAAD), is reported to have in its first year experienced a bad start in the North West region making an insignificant impact to the beneficiary due to low rainfalls.
Officially launched on 26 October last year, Temo Letlotlo is a productivity-output reward based agro-ecological programme whose main aim is to improve food security and reduce the country’s food import bill.
The programme has two components being the Household Food Security and National Food Security. The Household Food Security component assists Micro-Scale Farmers with hundred percent subsidy and targets the farming population with no wage or monthly income up to less than P4 000 while the National Food Security component targets Individual Small-Scale, Medium-Scale and Large-Scale Farmers, Groups and Clusters.
Addressing the North West District full council session this week, Chairman Itumeleng Kelebetseng revealed that due to low rainfalls those who collected inputs did not utilise them and were advised to properly store them for the upcoming season.
The 2023/24 cropping season has long proved dry and hot, with the low rainfalls consequently resulting in fewer hectares being ploughed by farmers leaving a sizeable amount of hectares unploughed.
Adding to this woes, farmers in some parts of the country has previously experienced a delay in the start of their cropping season due to implementation of the programme. This as the farmers were unable to utilise the early December rains as a result of Temo Letlotlo implementation delays. The low rainfalls consequently hampered hope of stable yields.
“A total of 55 (26 females and 29 males) applications for fencing were received and 41 (19 females and 22 males) were approved. Out of 41 approved, 21 (9 females & 12 males) paid and collected fencing materials. The other farmers did not pay their contribution till the approval elapsed after 30 days,” the chairman revealed.
According to him, the total amount paid by government in respect of the 50% subsidy for the fencing is P854, 731.88. “Three fencings have been completed which include one electric fence and two ordinary fences,” he stated.
Kelebetseng has also further indicated that five applications for tractors have been received (2 females & 3 males) and all 5 have been approved, paid and collected. He noted that the total amount paid for the tractors by government in respect of the 50% subsidy is P366, 932.65.
Meanwhile, the chairman has revealed that the new Department of Plant Health under Ministry of Agriculture which is mandated to timely control plant pests and diseases and has conducted three pest/ disease surveys in the district. The targeted pests according to him, mainly included migratory pests (locust, red billed quelea, African armyworm) and other common pests of economic importance (fall armyworm, Leafminer-Tuta obsoluta, diamondback moth) among others.
“From the survey no migratory pest and disease has been detected so far and farmers have been advised to report any observation they may come across regarding the pests,” the chairman said.
He however indicated that leaf miner-Tuta obsoluta has been reported by two farmers, one in Shorobe extension area and the other one in Shashe-Maun Extension area. The pest according to him, has infested a total area of about 0.03 Ha of tomato crop.
“The two farmers were technically advised on the management of the pest. In order to prevent entry, establishment and spread of exotic pests and diseases, the department also conducts phytosanitary inspections at Maun International Airport on the international arrivals. All commodities that are not compliant with Import Procedures as per Plant Protection Act (Cap 35:02) are denied entry. Currently the compliance of plants and plant products is 99.15%.”
