As a way of empowering farmers, the Botswana Red Cross Society (BRCS) has partnered with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Japanese government through the Japanese Embassy in Botswana to build a community farm in Gweta at a tune of over P3.5 million.

When addressing residents of Gweta this week, BRCS secretary-general Kutlwano Mukokomani said the community farm sits on a nine hectare land and has absorbed over 50 community farmers to equip them with training in horticulture and Agri-business.

“The project’s beneficiaries also have access to infrastructure that include a fully-equipped borehole, irrigation system, farming inputs and are afforded technical support by a fulltime horticulture specialist.

The Botswana Red Cross Society continues its efforts to augment the government in alleviating human suffering by providing services to the most vulnerable in our communities.

The Gweta community farm is evidence to that hence it formed part of our 2021 COVID-19 food security relief project, which targeted and assisted 350 families with food items to the value of P750 per month for a continuous period of five months,” he said.

He also said BRSC has since noticed that the key to food security is continuous and systematic access to food that is sufficient in quantity and in quality. The secretary-general said they are committed to their auxiliary role to the government and they will continue to develop different interventions to promote community resilience and empowerment for the local horticultural market.

For his party, the Minister of Agriculture Fidelis Molao said; “this initiative came at the right time as my government has taken a decision to close the importation gap for agricultural commodities restricting the importation of horticultural crops.

This creates an opportunity for local horticultural producers like Gweta community horticultural farm as the sub-sector contributes only 40% of the national demand and 60% is met by importation.

“Food production is a cornerstone for every economy and as government, we are committed to the development of farming in general, horticultural production in particular since it is through such endeavours that we can attain food security.”

He said the community farm provides an opportunity for all value chain players in the horticultural industry to network and share knowledge and experiences, more importantly during this time when there is a ban on the exportation of some vegetables.

In addition, the minister challenged the residents of Gweta to take advantage of this dispensation and produce more vegetables for the Gweta community and the nation at large. The COVID-19 pandemic brought about the need for a county’s self-reliance. Botswana took drastic measures to try and curb its over dependence on other countries by closing its borders to agricultural produce that can be grown in Botswana.

Meanwhile, Japanese Embassy representative Sayuri Himero said the project is successfully providing food assistance, capacity development and horticultural equipment and training in the Kgalagadi and Central (Nata/Gweta) Districts and was implemented by the IFRC through the BRCS. “Though at infancy stage, it is pleasing to see this agricultural project realised. In particular, it is important that this project has not only started to benefit the community through the sale of produce, but it will be a sustainable one to thrive on its own for years to come.

@The project is based on a proposal made by the IFRC to the government of Japan in August 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected nutrition, income security and food security.

Through the IFRC, Japan contributed 36 million Japanese yen (approximately P3.6 million) in response to the food and nutrition insecurity caused by COVID-19 and to the re-establishment of subsistence farming activities in the area,” she said.