According to figures released by the Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB), the food situation will remain precarious because of poor cereal production. Leonard Morakaladi, BAMB chief executive officer, attributed the looming shortage of food to low rainfall during the 2018/19 ploughing season. Morakaladi further revealed that the grains comprised of 48,000 metric tons of sorghum, 1,500 metric tons of white maize and 2,000 metric tons of pulses. Of the total grain stocks, Morakaladi said, 30,000 metric tons was sorghum, 2,000 metric tons was pulses while maize was at zero and needed to be replenished to 30,000 metric tons or at least 10,000 metric tons. Morakaladi said but the local farmers produced less than 10,000 metric tons adding that the nation consumes 120 metric tons.

Source: The North Africa Journal April 01, 2019 12:11 UTC