Ashly DhaniBotswana will reallocate 1,3 billion pula (US$97 million) to deal with its worst drought in decades.
The funds, which will help farmers pay seasonal loans, buy animal feed and provide supplementary feeding to vulnerable groups, will be redirected from different ministries’ budgets, said Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development Mabuse Pule.
Elderly individuals and children in hot spot areas are “particularly vulnerable due to factors such as reduced mobility, limited access to resources due to lack of rains for plowing and pre-existing health conditions,” Pule said.
An El Niño-induced drought has wiped out crops, precipitated power shortages and fanned inflation for much of southern African, with some areas experiencing their worst drought in 40 years.
Botswana, a beef exporter, produced just 6 percent of its annual cereal requirement of 300 000 tonnes and farmers lost 16 000 livestock.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi in June declared an extreme drought emergency in the country, announcing a rescue package covering farmers and vulnerable groups. — Bloomberg
Bongani Ndlovu