ITS BACK TO PLOUGHING - Ministry of Agriculture

editor’s noteFOUNDATIONPILLARSPoverty Eradication is achieavableVISIONAttain national food securityand global competitivenessin agricultural productsMISSIONTo improve agricultural productivitythrough technology developmentand transfer, diversification andcommercialization, inorder to promote food security inpartnership with our stakeholders.VALUES1. BOTHOWe treat our customers ina respectable and caring manner.2. TEAM WORKWe recognize the need to work asa team characterized by collectiveeffort, trust, understanding,support and perseveranceirrespective of rank or gender.3. CUSTOMER FOCUSEDOur customers are the focusof everything we do by beingcourteous, caring, compassionate,tolerant and empathetic.4. INNOVATIVEWe commit to employ new ideasand being proactive in order tomatch the requirements of thefuture.5. INTEGRITYWe foster a culture of transparency,accountability and dependability.Poverty is poverty regardless of its degree if at all it is quantifiable. Whatis clear about poverty though is that it erodes one’s self-esteem. Withoutdignity a human being is bound to regret why he/she was born.In the hierachy of needs, such a person’s immediate need is food. He/she needsonly food to keep the soul in the body. Defeated by poverty such a person isunable to think about the future.It is because of that sorry state some of our own live in that recently a nationalconference; Pitso ya go Nyeletso Lehuma was held in Mahalapye.Different stakeholders consisting of government, civil society and members ofthe public convened in that village to map a way forward to defeat poverty.The commitment from the two day conference was telling that eradication ofpoverty was not a mission impossible. Despite the commitment and resilienceshown by the participants, pessimistic voices still remain.It is this group that needs to be converted to help ensure that all pull in onedirection to annihilate poverty.As rightly pointed out, mindset change is where everyone should start. Shouldwe continue to find joy in exploiting those stricken by poverty?Are we going to allow one of our own to perish in poverty? Participants ofMahalapye conference have said NO. There was a sense of renewal of Setswanatraditional values.It is this noble course of poverty eradication that we humbly request allBatswana to support and nurture. Let us embrace this project and channel allour energies towards it. With the vigour and energy shown by Mahalapye, thefuture in which every citizen of this country live a dignified life is possible.The fact that poverty has remained an impossible dream even biblical does notmean it cannot be eradicated.We have to hasten to note that at the core of poverty eradication is theagricultural sector. It is a fact agriculture is the genesis of poverty eradication.Therefore, it is not surprising that initiatives geared towards eradication of thismonster are centred around the agricultural sector.Backyard gardens, food catering, Pop corn making, Bread and Cake baking,Peanut butter making are some of the micro and small businesses that can helpin the eradication of poverty.Production of enough vegetables locally will automatically reduce the importbill of such commodities.Therefore, what it means is that more money, which could have been used topay for such imports, will be diverted to other needy sectors of the economy.Projects such as backyard gardens will also ensure that there is maximumutilisation of land. Many people have a lot of land that is underutilised in their40 metres by 40 metres plots.The country can end up exporting vegetables once Batswana produce them inabundance. People should not worry about the market as food is a commoditythat its market is in abundance.As long as there is human life, food will always be needed to fuel this life toanother day, another week, another month and another year.Production of vegetables, besides being a source of income has a healthbenefit as well.1