Drought scares farmers from BAMB's sweetened deal
Friday, March 22, 2019
For farmers, the BAMB’s contracts are a type of hedging or security, offering a guaranteed market and price for their produce, while it is in the ground. The scheme is open to those producing five tonnes or more of sorghum, maize, cowpeas or beans.
Last season, more than 400 farmers participated in BAMB’s contract farming, but this year, the numbers are down to just 177. This is despite the BAMB offering contract farmers a premium on the South African benchmark prize called SAFEX. Producers of white maize under contract farming for this season will receive P2, 500 per tonne, compared to about P2, 300 on the SAFEX benchmark.
The recent disclosure by the IEC that 2,513 registrations have been turned down due to various irregularities should prompt all Batswana to meticulously review the voters' rolls and address concerns about rejected registrations.The disparities flagged by the IEC are troubling and emphasise the significance of rigorous voter registration processes.Out of the rejected registrations, 29 individuals were disqualified due to non-existent Omang...