The grain sector crisis that threatened to halt Botswana’s 2025/2026 planting season has begun to ease after government-initiated payments owed to farmers by the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB).
The development follows months of urgent appeals from farmers who had warned that without immediate settlement, Botswana risked an unprecedented failure to plant this year. In a significant turnaround, the Pandamatenga Commercial Farmers Association has confirmed that government has begun settling the arrears.
According to their latest update, “The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, together with CEDA and NDB, has secured P206 million to support payments toward the P271 million owed to farmers, with a solution for the remaining P65 million currently underway.”
Funds are now flowing to both small-scale and large-scale farmers, with the association stating that “100% paid to farmers owed below P1 million,” and “74% paid to those owed above P1 million.” They noted that the disbursements mark “important progress as we move toward full settlement.”
The association also expressed appreciation, saying: “We appreciate the Government of Botswana for responding to this urgent need and making resources available to support the sector. And we extend gratitude to farmers for their patience, resilience, and continued commitment. Your dedication keeps our nation fed, and every step forward is a shared victory for the agricultural community.”
In their earlier statement the Pandamatenga Commercial Farmers Association had declared a plea that “…grain farmers across Botswana must be paid immediately by the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB).”
Since April, farmers produced an estimated 120,000 tonnes of grains, including more than 80,000 tonnes of sorghum, and delivered over 53,000 tonnes of sorghum, 3,000 tonnes of cowpeas, and 2,000 tonnes of maize to BAMB “in good faith.” Those deliveries — valued between P260 million and P300 million remained unpaid, pushing producers to the brink of collapse.
The payments come after farmers issued one of the strongest warnings ever documented in Botswana’s agricultural sector. In their earlier statement, they described farming as “high-risk” and “capital-intensive,” noting that producers were surviving on overdrafts of Prime + 9%, while “their own pockets are empty, while the only players who are winning big from this chaos are the banks.” Small-scale farmers had been left unable to buy inputs, while large-scale producers — who anchor national grain production — were “reaching breaking point under crushing debts.” Those without access to NDB or CEDA financing were already “out of business.”
The association had warned that if farmers could not plant within 2–6 weeks, Botswana faced a real possibility that “the 2025/2026 crop season may not happen at all,” calling the consequences “unthinkable.” They criticised systemic inefficiencies and delayed payments, saying: “Instead of being celebrated, farmers now find themselves abandoned and being forced to subsidise government failure with personal debt… This is not just irresponsible it is reckless.”
The new payments have eased immediate pressure, but the remaining P65 million still needs to be cleared for full recovery.
