As a policy, Economic Diversification Drive had the greatest potential.
But it was not backed neither by political will nor any seriousness on the implementation side.
EDD was created as a citizen economic empowerment vehicle.
But in a totally unintended way, the policy, if it had been rigorously followed through and implemented also had the potential to diversify rural economies away from agriculture.
EDD failure means that a splendid opportunity has been missed.
And more!
The whole rural economy remains agricultural, and primarily subsistence.
That has to change.
State intervention on agriculture has been growing with no corresponding results to show for it.
It would be wrong to blame it all on Government, even though there is no running away from that.
Most of the interventions are wrong. Most such subsidies are created and designed to achieve political outcomes other than to increase economic output.
There is no evidence for example to suggest that Government expenditure on agriculture, especially in subsidies is equaled by the sector’s income.
Admittedly, a counter argument could be that the subsidies are aimed more at creating and enhancing food security than creating income for farmers.
Even then, it would still be an uphill struggle that Botswana’s security is getting any better with increases in agriculture subsidies.
Because of their political nature, many of the interventions paid for by the state have delayed the growth of the sector.
The biggest handicap is that such subsidies have allowed and prolonged the stay of people who should not be in the sector while keeping away the right people who should be in it.
Agriculture needs reforms more than it needs government subsidies.
Farmers have to embrace technology and with that adopt farming ways that are in sync with Botswana’s climatic conditions that are hostile to the agricultural sector.
Traditional ways of farming are no longer feasible in the face of worsening climates.
Yet another reform that is long overdue is investments in infrastructure.
This reform is especially more crucial for cattle farmers as opposed to crop farmers.
Current state of infrastructure makes costs too high and prohibitive.
Some credit is however due to Government.
As a result of the current policies, some of the underlying structural defects on the sector are already being corrected.
For example, while agriculture has for too long been perceived as an area for the old, the illiterate and the retired, there is visible change.
Increasingly young people are taking up agriculture as a profession, a career and a business.
This is commendable. It provides an opportunity. And Government should seize on this as part of ongoing efforts to overhaul the sector.
Given all the above Agriculture in Botswana will for a long time remain depressed. But it is a sector that will not go away; firstly because no Government will want to allow it to die without paying a political price. And secondly because of historical and sentimental attachment that Batswana have to the sector, however unprofitable it is.
There is however a solution to this paradox.
As many of us are beginning to find out, not everybody can be a businessman. In the same way, in the rural areas not everybody will be a farmer.
An economy different from farming has to be created in the rural areas.
Diversifying the rural economy is paramount.
This means creating small businesses that will service the rural areas.
But before that can be done there are basic things that need to be done, like for example creating affordable internet broadband.
Internet is no longer a luxury, especially for young people.
Roads and other infrastructure like electricity have to be there.
Then the rest will follow.
This will include cutting down the number of people migrating to the cities, towns and other peri-urban area.
At the moment the pressure and burden on the cities is palpable.
