Botswana’s agriculture sector is inching back to stability as commercial farmers in Pandamatenga resume ploughing after a brief standstill triggered by delayed government payments. The restart follows partial settlement of long-overdue debts, a move authorities hope will steady confidence ahead of the next planting cycle. Ryan Neil, Vice Chair of the Pandamatenga Commercial Farmers Association, confirmed that the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, working with CEDA and NDB, has secured P206 million to offset part of the P271 million owed.
The remaining P65 million, he said, is expected to follow. Farmers owed less than P1 million have now been paid in full, while those owed more have received seventy-four percent of their dues. While Pandamatenga shows signs of recovery, pressure is building elsewhere.
The national grain farmers’ association has issued a stark warning, saying the state and BAMB must immediately settle between P260 million and P300 million owed for grain delivered since April. Farmers have supplied roughly 120,000 tonnes of crops this year, including more than 80,000 tonnes of sorghum, yet many remain unpaid as the rains arrive. The association cautioned that the sector is at risk of a historic production halt, with farmers surviving on overdrafts priced as high as Prime plus nine percent.
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Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture Edwin Dikoloti told Parliament the government is working urgently to resolve the arrears. On December 5, government allocated P206 million to BAMB for the 2025 harvest payments, with some disbursements already reaching farmers. For now, fields in Pandamatenga are turning once more, but the sector’s resilience remains under strain.
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