April 2012.indd - Ministry of Agriculture

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Maitseo DibebeWoman farmerArticle: France BegenselPhotos: Agripah Williemanuallyrow-plantsRaws of meandering linesof beans, groundnuts andmaize are testimony to what adedicated farmer Maitseo Dibebe is.The rows of crops fill the five hectorplanted field. All of these have beenplanted with hands and hoe (withoutusing a planter).As a demonstrator farmer, Dibebe,who was born in the 1930s, is adedicated farmer who has livedher life cultivating her field. Shehas always wanted to show peopleof Okavango that row planting isprofitable compared to the oldways of broadcasting. She revealsthat she realised a good harvest inthe previous years. Last ploughingseason alone, she managed to get35 of 50kg bags of beans. Even afterher husband’s passing away, shenever folded her arms, but remaineddetermined to produce food herself.She decided to stand up and becomeexemplary of what it means to be ademonstrator farmer.She ploughs her field using oxendue to lack of tractors in her extensionarea. Dibebe uses a hand held hoe todig holes to insert seeds and that haspaid off as she has not experiencedany problems with germination ofthe crops.Dibebe’s farm is used for pilotingseeds that are new in the area. Shehas currently planted a new varietyof beans (hybrid IT18) that wasintroduced only last year by theDepartment of Agricultural Research(DAR). The variety is doing well andit has been extended to other farmersin Xhaoga and Nxamasere extensionarea.She discloses that dryland farmingdoes not come easy. She says lackof tractors in Nxamasere is a bigchallenge. Though, she uses draughtpower, she faces problems as she hasno one to assist her.The Xhaoga resident says elephantsare a menace to her crops but hasimprovised with the use of chillies.She says it has helped a lot becauseelephants are disgusted by its smell.She says the chillies is crushed andmixed with used oil or diesel, afterwhich the pieces of cloth are soakedin the mixture and hang on the fencearound the field.As for the market, she encounteredproblems in selling her produce.Last year, she hoped to sell to theBotswana Agricultural MarketingBoard (BAMB) in Maun but lack oftransport was a major hinderance.Attempts to sell to schools also hit asnag as her produce failed the qualitytest for consumption in schools. She,however, sold and bartered some of itwith locals in exchange for produceshe did not have.The Agricultural Demostrator forNxamasere Extension area, MsBakang Autlwetse shared the samesentiments with her. She said mostof subsistence farmers’ produce gotspoilt due to lack of transport to takeit to BAMB. She has since met withthem to register their produce, toenable her organise transport whenthe need arises.She also said that farmers in thearea are very keen to plough pointingout that this Letsema alone, she hasregistered a good number of them.She revealed that a total of 816.83ha has been planted by 406 farmers,76 males and 330 females.She revealed that many of themhave been encouraged because ofincentives of the ISPAAD programme.She though decried lack of tractorsin the area saying that there is onlyone tractor based in Shakawe andthat the service center is far away inGumare. She noted that there is nosingle tractor in her extension area.April 2012 10
Could it not have been forthe love and compassionshown by Anne Clifthilltowards Puseletso Phuti, 24, lifewould have been a completedisaster for her.Having completed her secondaryeducation, form V, in 2003, at MaunSecondary School, finding a job wasa difficult challenge as she couldnot secure any formal employment.“Life was very tough for me, I had tolive on menial jobs and they came atmonotonous regularity. I sometimeswent for months without working.”She had to leave her village toseek better life in Seronga where shecontinued working on piece jobs.Her search for greener pastureswas a blessing in disguise as Serongavillage in the Okavango had a surprisein store for her. Her adventures oflooking for employment landedher at Clifthill’s place, who is abee farmer. Clifthill realised thatthe young lady had potential andwas thirsty and determined to learnthe tricks of bee keeping. Clifthillmentored Phuti and taught her allshe needed to know about bees.Later, she appointed her a caretaker.And she gave her some beehives asa token of appreciation in 2007.Phuti realised that bee keepingcould be a source of livelihood.With honey from beehives, sheis able to make an assortment ofitems. She makes body lotions, jam,polish, lip balm, candles, bathingsoap and other extras. She is ableto sustain herself from the sales ofthose products.She says that proceeds realisedfrom sales have improved her lifestyle.Although her life has improvedfrom selling honey products, itdid not come easy. Sometimes,she reveals, the market is not thatgenerous. “At times, I have totravel all the way to Shakawe tosell to residents and ChoppiesSupermarket.” She reveals that shehas not gone into any contractualagreements with any individuals orpotential customers. She states thatPHUTIPASSIONATEABOUT HONEYPRODUCTIONArticle: France BegenselPhotos: Aggripah Williethis is because most of the times herbees do not do well.“Bee keeping is not child’s play,”discloses the former Maun SecondarySchool student.She says it requires one to be patient,determined,passionate,dedicatedand friendly. Friendly because beesdo not appreciate being disturbed,she adds. These are attributes shesays many young people do notpossess as evidenced by those sheinitially partnered with.Phuti says that bees need to betaken good care of, especially inwinter. She says this is the timewhen they do not go out very oftenin search of food. They spend mostof the time inside the box. She addsPuseletso Phuti working on her hivesthat this is the time when you haveto supplement them with sweetenedwater so that they can sustainproduction.“I do bookkeeping, this helps mea lot in identifying productive andnon produtive beehives.” She alsoadds that it helps her keep records ofprofits, losses and when she wants tomake comparisons between boxes.The young lady says she is verygrateful to Anne Clifthill who is apillar of her strength through tryingtimes.She encourages other youngBatswana to venture into agriculturerelated projects in order to avertpoverty, create employment andimprove their livelihoods.11April 2012
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