Farmers are urging government to increase allocations to agriculture in the upcoming national budget, warning that rising disease risks and persistent funding gaps are threatening food security and the sector’s long-term sustainability.
The Botswana National Beef Producers Union has called for urgent additional funding to contain foot and mouth disease (FMD), which has disrupted livestock movement and weighed heavily on beef markets. Union spokesperson Andrew Seeletso described the outbreak as an ‘invisible scourge’ that is already constraining trade and could worsen without decisive intervention.
‘It is now an open secret that Botswana is battling foot and mouth disease, which has suspended the movement of fresh produce,’ Seeletso said. He noted that livestock ownership is widespread across households, meaning an uncontrolled outbreak would carry serious economic and social consequences. He added that the union is awaiting clarity on how much funding will be allocated to disease control, particularly given uncertainty about the scale of the outbreak.
Seeletso said increased investment in FMD containment would help preserve beef exports and stabilise regional markets, which have already been disrupted by movement restrictions.
Pressure for a larger agriculture budget has also come from the Okavango Farmers Association. Chairperson Benny Morumbu said agriculture, spanning livestock, horticulture and other sub-sectors, requires stronger and more consistent support to meet national food self-sufficiency goals. He was speaking ahead of the Budget Speech by Finance Minister Ndaba Gaolathe.
The horticulture sector has echoed similar concerns. Botswana Horticulture Council chair Mogomotsi Moatswi said farmers need infrastructure such as boreholes and subsidies for inputs to reduce costs and scale production. He also cited illegal tomato imports as a sign of weak market controls.
The Ministry of Lands and Agriculture has been allocated P2.88 billion, about 12.1 percent of the development budget, down sharply from P8.01 billion last year, fuelling concern among farmers as they await the budget outcome.