Farmers empowered with technologies
Farmers from Kopong, Mahetlwe, Ditshukudu, Medie, Kgope, and Gakuto extension areas have received over 20 biochar units from the National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI).
The gesture was made under the project titled, ‘Improving agricultural resilience to salinity through development and promotion of pro-poor technologies and management strategies’ in selected countries of sub-Saharan Africa (RESADE), at Hornbill Farm in Medie.
According to NARDI Chief Executive Officer, Professor Julius Atlhopheng, the project is aimed at improving food security and reducing poverty among poor smallholder farmers, particularly women. It is implemented by NARDI in partnership with the International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) and is funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA).
Professor Atlhopheng said the project is mainly targeting women and youth because women and youth need to be given more support in their agricultural ventures.
According to the RESADE Project Country Coordinator, and also NARDI Senior Research Scientist, Ketseemang Safi, biochar, is a costeffective, farmer-friendly soil amendment method that has yielded promising results.
She added that biochar improves marginal soils sustainably and, consequently increases crop yield, improves the soil structure as such increases water holding capacity, improves nutrient availability, improves soil health, and reduces the effects of climate change.
Biochar is used to remove organic pollutants from contaminated soil and water resources, and it can be produced from any biomass, municipal waste, crop residue, animal manure, green and food waste, non-commercial wood, wood waste, solid waste, non-food energy crops and grasses, among other things.
Most farmers saw this technology as an economic and effective way of improving the soil of their fields which have been used by their greatgrandparents for long periods
without being improved.
Representatives from Mahetlwe and Gakuto farmer groups shared about their biochar units, how they were built, and the waste they used to produce biochar following ICBA/NARDI technology transfer workshop.
When handing over the biochar units to farmer groups, Medie Kgosi Moatlhodi Kgabo urged farmers to utilise the education earned from NARDI to better their livelihoods and commercialise their farming.
Kgosi Lebotse Kgosidintsi of Lentsweletau applauded NARDI for its efforts to improve food security and requested it to continue sharing technologies with other Batswana in other parts of the country. He said that if these technologies are effectively and efficiently used, hunger and poverty will soon be the stories of the past.
Farmers were issued with certificates following technology transfer workshop on the importance of biochar, utilisation, and fabrication of biochar making equipment on behalf of NARDI.
Some of the units were fabricated by farmers during technology transfer workshop on ‘Hands-on fabrication of biochar making units, making of biochar and its application to the soil’ conducted by ICBA Soil Scientist Dr Ahmed El-Naggar and NARDI experts from 24-27 July 2023.
NARDI has committed to increase the number of biochar units so that fewer farmers can share a unit, that is, eight farmers should share a biochar unit.