The Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Edwin Dikoloti, has acknowledged that challenges such as limited access to land, financing, and infrastructure continue to discourage youth participation in agriculture — but assured Ntlo ya Dikgosi that the government is implementing targeted reforms to change that.

Responding to a question from Kgosi Khachana of the NorthEast Region, Dikoloti said youth with approved agricultural projects are currently being prioritized in land allocations. He added that his ministry is working to create a dedicated Department of Partnerships to help young farmers tap into funding opportunities provided by multilateral institutions and other financial partners.

“To address infrastructure issues, we have a programme to construct road access to production areas. For the 2025/26 financial year, a total of P34 million has been budgeted for the construction of 146 km of roads leading to the Sandveld ranches,” Dikoloti said.

Regarding connectivity — another barrier to agricultural activity — Dikoloti explained that his ministry facilitates land provision for agencies responsible for rolling out digital infrastructure in farming zones.

Kgosi Khachana had also asked whether the government would consider reserving a substantial portion of land acquired from the Tati Company Limited in the North East for leasing to youth for commercial agriculture.

In response, Dikoloti revealed that the Structure Plan for the newly acquired land is already underway using in-house resources, and is expected to be completed by October 2025.

“The plan will address the needs of various sectors, including youth. Once complete, a quota of land parcels will be reserved for youth applicants to compete among themselves as part of the existing government reservation schemes,” said the minister. “They will also be eligible to compete for all other available plots.”

He emphasized that the land use planning process will be highly consultative, involving local communities, civil society, government bodies, and councils from the North East and Francistown to ensure local aspirations are reflected.

The envisaged land uses include High-Impact Industrial Clusters, Agro-Industrial and Dairy Farming, Green Economy and Innovation Hubs, as well as spaces with potential for mining, heritage tourism, and eco-development.

The move comes amid growing concern that Botswana’s youth are disengaging from agriculture, even as the sector remains a key pillar of the country’s economic diversification efforts.