Farmers in the North West District have been encouraged to learn from one another through benchmarking and sharing agricultural knowledge to improve production and overcome challenges affecting the sector.
Speaking during a Harvest Day hosted by the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture at Xhaamote Lands near Toteng village recently, District Crop Production Officer Motlakaleso Mosheti said farmers can benefit greatly from exchanging ideas and experiences.
The event was held under the theme, “Harvesting Hope, Farming Through Challenges: Showcasing Survival and Innovation.”
Mosheti said collaboration among farmers is important as it helps improve productivity and strengthens the farming sector. He encouraged experienced farmers to guide and support upcoming farmers so they can adopt better farming methods and improve their yields.
He further urged farmers to make meaningful use of the Lemang Dijo Programme, saying the initiative was introduced to support food production and improve livelihoods, especially in rural communities.
Mosheti acknowledged that heavy rains experienced in some areas during the ploughing season had negatively affected crops and reduced expected harvests. However, he encouraged farmers not to lose hope despite the difficult conditions.
“Even though some fields were affected by heavy rains, farmers should continue putting effort into their ploughing fields so that they are able to harvest something at the end of the day,” he said.
For his part, Principal Technical Officer in the Department of Crop Production Diane Keotsenye said the Harvest Day was organised to provide farmers with an opportunity to interact with different stakeholders in the agricultural sector, including the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI) and Water Africa.
Keotsenye explained that the different departments and organisations were invited to educate farmers about agricultural products, modern technologies, and equipment available to support production. He said farmers were also informed about irrigation systems, water solutions, crop production methods, and other services aimed at improving yields and strengthening food security in the area.
He encouraged farmers to make use of the information shared during the event and continue working closely with agricultural officers and fellow farmers to improve their agricultural enterprises.
Keotsenye also commended farmers for adopting the event’s theme, saying it reflected the challenges currently faced by farmers due to changing climate conditions. He noted that many farmers continue to experience poor production outputs despite spending large amounts of money on agricultural inputs.
Meanwhile, host farmer Baliki Bakgobokanye of Xhaamote Lands said this year’s farming season had been successful despite the heavy rains. He said they had managed to make a profit for the first time in many years.
Bakgobokanye revealed that they harvested 80 bags weighing 50 kilograms each. However, he said farmers in the area continue to face challenges caused by rats, which destroy crops in the fields. He added that elephants are also a major problem as they often enter farms, damage fences and gates, and feed on crops.
Despite the challenges, Bakgobokanye encouraged the public, especially young people, to venture into farming. He said farming should not only be viewed as a hobby, but also as a reliable source of income and livelihood.
Another farmer from Legothwana, Keletisitse Lefatshe, also raised concerns over rats damaging crops. However, she commended officers from the Department of Crop Production for assisting her with pest control solutions to reduce the problem. Lefatshe said although she faced several challenges during the farming season, she was still able to produce a small harvest.
