CLOSING THE FOOD GAP
Local integrated farm seeks to address food insecurity
Local integrated farm, Tara Farm, seeks to up its mission to contribute to closing the gap in food security.
Established in 2012, the farm deals with commercial integrated farming, which includes horticulture, livestock and an agricultural shop.
Speaking in an interview with Voice Money, the farms’ Human Capital Manager, Reuben Khumalo, explained that the main objective of establishing the farm was to contribute to food security.
“The main objective was purely to show people that agriculture is possible and that the industry can be our mainstay of the economy,” he said, adding that they wanted to close the gap that exists regarding food security.
He said he wanted to show that it is possible for the country to rely on agriculture, noting that the main aim is not about profit, but rather to show what can be achieved through agriculture.
Khumalo explained that they are in the process of signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with Botswana
University of Agriculture and Natural Resources ( BUAN) to attach the university at the farm.
“We have students that are attached to us in different fields such as animal science and production, animal health and agriculture generally,” explained Khumalo.
He said students are attached to them for a period of six weeks to learn more about the industry depending on their field of study.”
Khumalo said the intention is to expand the farm and include other activities such as horse racing, bee keeping and expand the agriculture shop.
“These are the areas where we will be able to close the gap in terms of the food security and we want government to make land available for us to expand,” he stated.
As an integrated project, the farm, which is located in Metsimotlhabe, offers educational tours to students.
However, when it comes to horticultural products, Khumalo explained that they sell their produce to small vendors and other middle-men.
“Because of the recent importation of some vegetables, we are seriously looking at expanding the farm to produce more,” said Khumalo.