GHANZI SHOW - Ministry of Agriculture

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Ghanzi Show A Marvel Once More Cross Kgosidiile Cattle parade at Gantsi show Article: Segomotso Basuti Photos: Aggripah Willie The time came once more for people to embark on the remarkable pilgrimage to Ghanzi through the Trans Kalahari Highway. For most people, this event is religiously marked on their yearly calendars and it will be a cardinal sin for them to miss it. First timers, never resist the temptation to attain life membership of this event. By all standards, this event is infectious. Ghanzi District Agriculture show has always attracted people from all corners of the country, and outside as well. Not only farmers but entrepreneurs, the socialites, and financial institutions to mention but a few make it to the district to see what the show has in store for them. This has been a tradition for years. The first show to be held was in 1974. When it started, the dominating aspect of the show was livestock exhibitions. There has been a significant change over the years and this year had farmers bringing forth a good harvest, something which is not familiar to the show. Though the soil in the area is generally not good for crop production, the hunger for farmers to excel in every part of agriculture led to them sticking to those crops that do well in Ghanzi district. The show with the theme “Commercialize Agriculture, a solution to food security and economic development,” implored Batswana to strive to develop the country’s agricultural sector in order to diversify the economy of the country. In his keynote address, the Chief Executive Officer, Motor Vehicle Accident Fund, Mr Cross Kgosidiile, acknowledged Ghanzi District as one of the largest cattle farming areas in Botswana. “The quality and the number of cattle produced in this area is a sure sign of your commitment in growing the beef industry of Botswana,” he said. For farmers who travelled many kilometers to learn from the show, they were not disappointed. Kgomotso Maroba, a farmer in Kadijenaa cattle post, Boteti, said attending such an event makes him grow as farming is all about learning from the achievements of others. “I really regret not coming with a van because this year the bucks are selling like fat cakes, I could have got myself one or two.” Giving a review of the preparation of the show before the multitudes that gathered there, the chairperson of the show committee, Mr Jecktor Marambe said that they were faced with the challenge of turning their stumbling blocks into achievements. He implored all who took part to show up for the evaluation meeting as a way to rectify where they went wrong in order to come back bigger and better the following year. Reflecting on the show, the chairman stated that it provided a learning curve each year as every year comes with growth and changes and more challenges. “There has been growth as this year we saw big companies such as Barloworld and BH Botswana exhibit for the first time which attracted farmers to the show.” Marambe said that this causes the committee to persevere as whatever happens, either good or bad, there will always be feedback, and as the show committee they have to account for everything that happens during the event. July 2012 12
NATIONAL FRUIT TREE NURSERY GROWS Botswana is one of the countries that still import fruits and vegetables from other countries especially South A f r i c a a t v e r y costly price. This has brought about the idea to establish a national fruit tree nursery at Ditladi village, 9km east of Tonota village. The national year demand for orange trees is 6000, mangoes, leaches and paw paw stands at 2000. The national fruit tree nursery manager, Ms Velleminah Pelokgale, says “the nursery was established to among others, increase fruit production through establishments of orchards in Botswana, monitor national fruit tree production, market needs and to generate income.” The National Fruit Tree Nursery was also made to develop standards of seedlings quality and evaluating species, provenances, varieties and other germ plasm through the establishment of gene bank and mother rootstock blocks. Furthermore, the project is intended for technical and leadership capacity building. Pelokgale states that since its establishment in 2003/4, the project has promoted a number of projects in the country. Adding that farmers come from all over the country, as far as Okavango and Tsabong to buy fruit trees. She reveals that they propagate fruit trees seedlings, especially citrus and mangoes in order to reduce importation of fruit trees seedlings from foreign nurseries, which is expensive to the government and individuals. She adds that the nursery users include nursery operators themselves, individuals, community organisations, farmers groups, government agencies and non governmental organisations including corporate, private and other stakeholders. The national fruit tree nursery which is situated in a 27 hectares area is divided into four operational divisions which comprise of root stock area which is four hectares and currently is planted with 182 Eureka lemons and rough lemons; three hectare gene bank planted with assorted 263 citrus, 45 table grapes and 58 olives. The other area is for mother block and the potting/progation area. The national fruit tree nursery is located in a very fertile flat area with good drainage and good soils and proximity to the Shashe river where the farm draws its water. The manager says that the area is readily accessible, which makes it a good venue for training and field visits by students from various institutions, nursery operators and interested groups. She also reveals that the staff often act as trainers and commonly is accomodative and willing to assist. Pelokgale adds that the area’s semimodern infrastructure complimented by moderately trained staff ensures that their small industrial nurseries are outstanding training venues for basic and advanced nursery propagation techniques. “The extensive nursery facility was established to achieve the staggering seedling and land rehabilitation in Botswana.” The nursery imports cuttings from South Africa and later multiplies them. She says that they follow international importation bilateral laws and rules, adding that they only buy from accredited nurseries. And that only the government through the Ministry of Agriculture imports such plants. Pelokgale reveals this is to ensure no plants from non accredited nurseries cross into the coutry. The main reason being to avoid diseases, pests like fruit fly crossing over. She says that it would not be easy to control such if individuals were to import on their own, stating that with individuals anything could happen. Ms Pelokgale posits that the project faces a Ms Vellemiah Pelokgale says there is a high demand for citrus plants countrywide number of challenges. She says that it is very expensive to run the nursery adding that it is incomplete. She adds that the netshadings need to be paved inside. She says that if the area was paved it was going to be easy to disinfect after taking out stock. She also says that dry land encourages weeds to grow rapidly as opposed to a green house where they would not survive because they are not used to such conditions. She adds that unpaved floors also result in sinking, rusting, breaking of nursery table legs and base,resulting in high maintenance costs. She says that insects are also a menace adding that termites also harass their plants. She, however, controls them by digging out anthills, burning them and putting insecticides. She posits that there are incidences of non migratory pests such as thrips,scales,orange dogs, grasshopper and fruitfly. She also says that as a precautionary measure to avert diseases they disinfect at the main gate and at entrances to the green houses. She says this would avoid carrying in diseases that might be trapped in shoes and tyres. The fruit tree nursery develops citrus/orange varieties like palmer navel,bah navel, delta valencia, midnite valencia, maclean,impress mandarine,minowasi mandarine. Mangoes-tommy atkins, kent, reitz,zeal. Avocado; mexican and indiana. Olives; mission corithian. Bananas chinese dwarf. Peaches; omsreal. Joel Kokwere says they need funds to pave tunnels. 13 July 2012
Page 1 and 2: Volume 42, No. 07 July 2012 GHANZI
Page 3 and 4: NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SHOW "Transfo
Page 5 and 6: VISION FOUNDATION PILLARS editor’
Page 7 and 8: After years of stumbling along in t
Page 9 and 10: Kruger avoid compaction to enhance
Page 11 and 12: 11 July 2012
Page 13 and 14: 2 1 Ghanzi Show 1. Delegates at Gha
Page 15: Article: Segomotso Basuti Photos: A
Page 19 and 20: Kruger,Mokalake, Kgosi Baniki and M
Page 21 and 22: Versions Of Progress I love agricul
Page 23 and 24: Teasers Compiled By Segomotso Basut

GHANZI SHOW - Ministry of Agriculture

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