Agriculture special zones takes off

Special Economic Zones Authority (SEZA) has plans to build more silos in Pandamatenga to prop up agriculture production.“The agriculture investors in Pandamatenga want to ramp up production and all they are looking for is more storage,” said Thatayaone Ndzinge, Chief Executive Officer of SEZA. Ndzinge said through SEZA’s agropolis sites in Pandamatenga, the ultimate goal is to ensure the country eventually becomes an exporter. “Remember in terms of food security, we are still trying to substitute imports but once we are able to ramp up, we will have excess for the export,” said Ndzinge. He said tenders for the construction of the silos will be out before the end of the year, as part of plans to increase capacity in different sectors of the economy through SEZA’s initial setting up investment capital of P200 million. SEZA is optimistic that its incentives, rules regulations and activities will lure both local and foreign investors to its zones dotted across the country.The special economic zones are Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) area dubbed the International Diamond and Logistics City, Fairgrounds in the capital Gaborone - International Finance and Technology City. Others will be in Lobatse – Meat and Leather City, Selibe Phikwe – Metal Beneficiation City, Francistown – Mining and Logistics City, Palapye – Oil and Gas City, Tuli Block and Pandamatenga as Agropolis Cities. Early this year, government announced plans to allocate 20, 000 hectares of prime agricultural land in Pandamatenga to qualifying farmers to enhance the country’s self-reliance in food supply.