Agriculture is a ‘ fluid and evolving space’ - Bradley
ABSA encourages open pathways for agriculture funding
ABSA Botswana Director of Corporate Banking, Lesley Bradley has described the agriculture sector as a “fluid and evolving space” that presents a plethora of economic opportunities.
Speaking this week during an ABSA virtual seminar discussion on opportunities in the agriculture sector, and pathways of accessing funding in order to unlock opportunities in the agricultural value- chain – Bradley said Botswana has to re- evaluate, and look into reducing dependency on diamonds and moving towards a thriving agriculture sector.
She said doing this is a delicate process that requires collective effort.
Bradley said that COVID- 19 has presented several challenges that have affected all sectors including farming, but it is imperative to maximise on accessible resources and tap into the plethora of opportunities in the agriculture sector, in production and in the value- chain.
“COVID- 19 has taught us some lessons, and I remember when lockdown started, there was a lot of concern on whether Botswana would be able to feed its people.
“This brings forth the realisation that we need to re- look into key areas such as agriculture. The time is now to renew commitment to growing and supporting agriculture sector to lead to self- sufficiency because the opportunities in this field are incredibly vast”.
Bradley said as things stand, retailers in Botswana have already pledged to support local, and therefore more farmers need to produce local. She said at ABSA, they have encouraged capacity building to commercialise agriculture because the opportunity is real, and there is need to work hard towards value creation.
“We have consistently rendered support through thought leadership and engagement. We are aware that food security is key and also creates employment and encourage investments in farming projects because of the diverse opportunities in the production and value chain”.
Director of Bicolor Holdings in Pandamatenga, Basadi Molelekeng explained that when she started out in farming, she had been forced to start from scratch on a bare piece of land.
She noted that this requires patience as it takes time, and sometimes as a farmer, one is faced with low yields and high gear ratio, adding that on top of that there are recurring climatic challenges such as drought.
“We are dependent on rain, and that will determine if you as a farmer get bad or good crop. Sometimes you invest P2million into the project but come out with nothing.
“Furthermore, farming for us in remote areas has several challenges, the predominant one being the longer distances to access facilities”, she said. Molelekeng however said perseverance is important. “As a farmer, you continue to do your best; if you fall, you dust yourself and keep going”.
She said farmers also make personal sacrifices for their farming ventures, indicating that one reason many farmers choose to home- school their children is because they have to be hands- on. She said as a young woman in farming, she had been forced to be separated from her family and when she was starting out, she lost her husband in a road accident.
“My child was small but I had to balance being a mother and a farmer. I took it that is the price that one pays for being a farming mother”.
Molelekeng said that there are many opportunities in farming, particularly as farmers are faced with technical challenges.
“For example, we are currently short of mechanics and most farmers are forced to fly in mechanics from South Africa”, she said. She said the first step to tapping into opportunities in the agriculture sector in Africa and striving to feed nations was getting rid of stereotypes on farming.
“Some people think farming is for old people… but farming is not a retirement plan. You have to do farming when you are in your prime and ensure that it is professional.
“Farming is for clean, young, educated people and even beautiful women. I encourage more women to come on board. A new picture should be repainted to make farming an attractive and fulfilling enterprise”.
We are dependent on rain, and that will determine if you as a farmer get bad or good crop. Sometimes you invest P2million into the project but come out with nothing