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In recognition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> need to improve <strong>the</strong> productive capacity <strong>of</strong> <strong>resource</strong>-poor<br />

farmers <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> traditional arable sector, <strong>the</strong> M<strong>in</strong>istry <strong>of</strong> Agriculture <strong>in</strong> Botswana has,<br />

over <strong>the</strong> years, implemented a number <strong>of</strong> development-orientated programmes with<br />

<strong>the</strong> sole aim <strong>of</strong> promot<strong>in</strong>g and improv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> sector by provid<strong>in</strong>g an enabl<strong>in</strong>g<br />

environment for farmers and producers. These programmes <strong>in</strong>clude <strong>the</strong> Arable Land<br />

Development Programme (ALDEP) and Arable Ra<strong>in</strong>fed Agricultural Programme<br />

(ARAP), Service to Livestock Owners <strong>in</strong> Communal Areas (SLOCA), <strong>the</strong> Bull<br />

Subsidy Scheme, <strong>the</strong> Artificial Insem<strong>in</strong>ation fund, <strong>the</strong> Agricultural Extension Fund<br />

No. 10 (AE 10), and o<strong>the</strong>r agricultural projects funded under <strong>the</strong> F<strong>in</strong>ancial<br />

Assistance Policy (FAP). The success <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se programmes <strong>in</strong> improv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> sectors<br />

productivity has been m<strong>in</strong>imal, ma<strong>in</strong>ly due to:<br />

• The absence <strong>of</strong> clear and monitorable sector-wide strategies and plans;<br />

• Poor target<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> subsidies and poor performance <strong>of</strong> farmers;<br />

• Unfavourable agro-c1imatic conditions, characterised by low and erratic<br />

ra<strong>in</strong>fall and endemic droughts which make ra<strong>in</strong>fed crop production risky;<br />

and<br />

• Constra<strong>in</strong>ts to <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> irrigated agriculture due to uncerta<strong>in</strong> and<br />

scattered water <strong>resource</strong>s, low borehole yields, competition for water with<br />

o<strong>the</strong>r sectors and lack <strong>of</strong> a clear policy on apportionment <strong>of</strong> water for<br />

agricultural use, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g irrigation (Republic <strong>of</strong> Botswana Government<br />

White Paper 1, 2002).<br />

5.2.9 Environmental and Natural Resources<br />

Botswana is endowed with many environmental and <strong>natural</strong> <strong>resource</strong>s, which form<br />

<strong>the</strong> basis <strong>of</strong> its dualistic economy <strong>of</strong> modern and traditional sectors. Among <strong>the</strong> more<br />

common <strong>resource</strong>s, land, wood and veld products, wildlife, livestock, water and<br />

m<strong>in</strong>eral <strong>resource</strong>s are predom<strong>in</strong>ant. Apart from m<strong>in</strong>erals, all o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>resource</strong>s have<br />

been a source <strong>of</strong> subsistence <strong>in</strong> rural Botswana for a very long time, and still rema<strong>in</strong><br />

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