Agrinews October 2012 - Ministry of Agriculture

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Iopened my emails this morningand there it was again– screenupon screen of forwarded mail.Emails run from those that promiseprizes of the best-mechanizedtools….tractors and forklifts, tothose that promise winnings of lotsof cash. My particular favorite…“Attention! Your Internet Bankingaccount has been violated”. Theyhumor me these. I even take timeto read them and see just how “theenemy” preys on our vulnerability.It is no laughing matter howeverfor those that have fallen victim tothese shenanigans and have actuallyparted with their life savings.Technology is fun. I used to keepup with all the new software andgadgets in the market till I simplycould not anymore. And as longas there is good, the bad willcome lagging behind. This firstparagraph is dedicated to warningnot just youth but everybody againstcyber crime. Be very careful aboutdisclosing your bank details andyour general information. Find outfrom your bank first before you giveany details on line. Someone elsewill work...not very....hard to stripyou of your earnings.The rest of the column goes to theministry outlook emails. I have gonefrom enjoying the conversationsto simply being annoyed. Pleaseknow that I am a bit sorry to saythis, but it has been long over due.Arguments have sprawn over thisissue and again unfortunately, wehave had to be the ones deletengour bombarded inboxes. It has beenrequested over and over and overCyber Woesagain that messages go to only theapplicable people. Unfortunatelythis plea was reciprocated withmore debate and effort to convincethe rest of us why we shouldcontinue to endure.One such argument that caughtmy eye was from a commendablehorticultural officer in Mahalapyewho bravely and openly requestedthat he be sent information onhow to balance Ph is soillessmedia and any other informationon crop and animal productionprinciples and not transfers anddeath annoucements. It was a fairlystraight forward appeal I thought.The replys to that request came likeguns blazing.One such reaction stated thatthe poor officer could not afford tobe choosy. It went on that for thesake of the MoA family it is an allor none situation. In her/his words,either the poor officer receives andaccept a full dose of what is and willbe posted in this mail list despitepossibility of ‘allergic reactions’ to itor the officer signs out and to neverreceive anything at all.I must admit, this reply did catchme off guard. It really is not toomuch to ask. If not all, most ofthe ministry department mailinglists are grouped so that relevantinformation goes to those relevantpeople. Personally, I can handle thedeaths and out of office messages.It is those personal ones about howmuch Jesus loves us, and somedebates that spawn no benefit tothe rest of us, that keep my teethclenched.It is a no issue in other officesreally and should minimally benone in our beautiful 7:30am- 4:30pm setting. In the end, Iwould like to leave you with oneof the emails I truely gained from.It is the Sir Seretse Khama speechof Chancellor at University ofBotswana, Lesotho and Swazilandgraduation ceremony (15 May1970; Botswana Daily News, 19May 1970, supplement)It simply goes: We were taught,sometimes in a very positive way,to despise ourselves and our waysof life. We were made to believethat we had no past to speak of, nohistory to boast of. The past, so faras we were concerned, was justa blank and nothing more. Onlythe present mattered and we hadvery little control over it. It seemedwe were in for a definite periodof foreign tutelage, without anyhope of our ever again becomingour own masters. The end result ofall this was that our self-pride andour self-confidence were badlyundermined.It should now be our intentionto try to retrieve what we can ofour past. We should write our ownhistory books to prove that we didhave a past, and that it was a pastthat was just as worth writing andlearning about as any other. Wemust do this for the simple reasonthat a nation without a past is a lostnation, and a people without a pastare a people without a soul.By Gorata BoikanyoOctober 2012
From Rubbish collector to horticultureArticle & Photos: France BegenselIt is not easy to find men, whowill allocate a certain amountof time to care for vegetables.Again especially in rural areaswould men be interested in smallscale enterprises more so thatthey are not well paying. But forModimoohile Muyoba, 40, ofKachikau, life has never been easywith the little he got from his lowpaying job as rubbish collector inthe village.Muyoba says that he saw it fitto supplement his wages withmoney generated from the saleof vegetables. He asserts that theunavailability of relish coupled withinsufficient food compelled him toventure into vegetable production.He adds that he also approvedof the government initiaves thatinclude backyard gardening toescape the doldrums of poverty.The standard 7 holder says “Istarted growing vegetables in Aprilthis year. And since then I havenever looked back because I see alot of potential. And also the peopleare very encouraging because theyalways buy my vegetables.”Muyoba says that he took uphorticulture because he has love forvegetables. He says that vegetablesare very important in every mealbecause they boost the immunesystem. He says vegetables are alsocheap compared to meat. He addsthat people who tend to eat beefall the time are prone to diseaseslike Gout.He reveals that he has attendedhorticulture workshops in Kasane.He says that these have helpedhim a lot as he uses the knowledgegained to grow vegetables.Muyoba says that like any otherbusiness, vegetable productiondoes not come easy as there area number of challenges involved.He àdds that pests are a menace.He says he had devised ways ofcontrolling them. He says that healways engages his agriculturalofficer whenever he has problems.He states that his crops are mostlyattacked by Aphids, adding thathe counters this by using ash fromfirewood remains. He discloses thatsometimes, he uses Blue Deathto control pests. He adds that heknows very well that if he uses suchhe will have to wait for a certaintime before he could harvest.The Kachikau born farmer sayshe grows Rape, tomatoes,Spinach,Florida Broadleaf and beans.Muyoba encourages Batswanain general to grow vegetablesto sustain themselves and evencreate employment for others. Heaspires to one day own a big farmgrowing vegetables and fruit trees.He adds that he would like toengage agricultural demonstratorsand financial institutions to growhis business.Muyoba supplement his wages by selling vegetables17October 2012
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Agrinews October 2012 - Ministry of Agriculture

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