GHANZI SHOW - Ministry of Agriculture

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