Pandamatenga farmers buoyant
As non- mining exports are being positioned to prop up economic diversification of the local economy, farmers in Pandamatenga expect bumper harvest in mung beans this year.
The farmers anticipate harvesting over 21, 000 metric tonnes of mungbeans this year and this was revealed in a consultative meeting hosted by
the Assistant Ministers of Agricultural Development & Food Security and Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry, Beauty Manake and Molebatsi Molebatsi respectively.
The farmers warned that sorghum will drop, losing 10,000 hectares of sorghum, due to late rains. Mung beans are a lucrative export product that is in high demand in China, India, Turkey and Bangladesh. The average market price for mung beans is about $ 7,350 per tonne, although the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board ( BAMB) offers farmers an inflated price of $ 7,800.
“I can confidently state that we will be able to provide adequate storage for all the mung beans that will be produced in Botswana,” said BAMB Acting Chief Executive Officer ( CEO), Dr. Benjamin Ditsele. For the past six years, Pandamatenga farmers have been exporting over 10, 000 metric tonnes of mung beans to buyers in South Africa.
However, over the last three years farmers have resorted to selling their produce through BAMB as a way of positioning mung beans as a proudly Botswana product that is ploughed, beneficiated and processed locally. According to Trade Map, China is a growing market for agricultural products, which in 2018 amounted to US$ 129- billion. Africa’s top exporters of mung beans include Morocco, Senegal, Kenya and Egypt.
Another lucrative market emerged in Botswana after the government decided to purchase beans for use in its feeding schemes. According to nutritionists, mung beans are a highly nutritious source of proteins, carbs and fibre. They are also rich in essential amino acids; and are a good source of antioxidants which may reduce the risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers. In addition, mung beans are also an excellent rotational crop as they provide much needed nitrogen for grass crops like sorghum