TimothyHonoured Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to be here today at the launching of this “Joint Venture” between Botswana and Zimbabwe.
I hesitate to tell you how long this has taken to reach this stage but suffice to say it started with the BITC stand at the Bulawayo Trade Fair in 2018 when Organic fertiliser Manufacturers Botswana were invited to attend under the banner of the Ministry of Trade and Industry Botswana.
Since then a Pula 1 billion bilateral trade agreement has been signed between the Botswana and Zimbabwe governments at the highest level. We hope that this function will accelerate the final completion and initiation of the agreement in earnest between the two countries.
This agreement allows all sorts of products to be traded between the two countries including meat; salt, soda ash and a myriad of other products from Botswana. Similarly, Zimbabwe has so much potential for exporting to Botswana, including cotton; stock feeds; leather goods and many others.
This is an opportunity therefore for huge collaboration between us as nations for intra African trade, Sadly, we often sign agreements but the actual finalization struggles to come to fruition. It is up to us as the players here to ensure that the relevant authorities implement the policies.
I am proud to see these first fertiliser exports from Botswana and I want to congratulate Organic fertiliser Manufacturers Botswana and Mpumalanga Enterprises Zimbabwe for their hard work and sheer tenacity and determination in ensuring this venture has reached this stage today. Both parties have incurred huge expenditure time and effort over the last 2 years to finally receive the first exports from Botswana. Similarly, as said above we hope we receive exports from Zimbabwe to ensure this is not just a one-way street in trade between our two great countries.
Since 2018 Organic Fertiliser Manufacturers (Pty) Ltd, have managed to register a number of pure organic products and blended inorganic products with the Ministry of Agriculture Zimbabwe.
Fertiliser is an integral part of any agricultural production system as without it we will not survive as agricultural producers.
What is interesting about this fertiliser is that it has an organic component to it and this is what the future is all about.
If we look at other parts of the world such as USA; China; India; Europe, Australia and New Zealand there has been an overuse of chemical fertilisers pesticides and fungicides. This has resulted in a deterioration of soils and the eco systems and these countries are now taking a firm stance with regard to the control and use of fertiliser and chemicals.
This is happening with us as well. We need to be aware of the requirements of the export markets and all these markets are demanding less chemically produced products.
I am also proud to say that organic fertiliser manufacturers are the only Ecocert Registered fertiliser company in Botswana, this means their products are eligible for exports into the EU and the USA. More importantly, this allows exporters from Zimbabwe and Zimbabwe to be organically certified if they us these certified products. So there are benefits everywhere for all stakeholders.
Bongani Ndlovu