UPFRONT TRACTOR FUEL PAYMENTS NOT PART OF ISPAAD The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, the Honourable Oreeditse Molebatsi says he is aware that some tractor owners require advances for purchase of diesel from farmers wishing to plough their fields. Answering a question in Parliament from the MP for Kanye South, Mr Abraham Kesupile, Mr Molebatsi said the ministry did not allow the practice because government took into consideration issues such as fuel prices, labour and maintenance when determining the rates for payment. Unfortunately, the minister explained that the arrangement was privately agreed between the tractor owner and the farmer without the ministry’s involvement. He said the rates of ploughing/planting and harrowing set for private tractor owners during the inception of ISPAAD in 2008 were as follows; ploughing (conventional tillage) P400 p/hectare, minimum tillage (P350p/ hectare), row planting P150 (p/hectare) and harrowing (P150) p/hectare. To mitigate against increase in fuel price labour and maintenance, the minister said government reviewed rates in 2012 saying currently the payment rate for ploughing/planting is P800 per hectare, harrowing P360 per hectare and minimum tillage P500 per hectare. Therefore, Assistant Minister Molebatsi emphasized that the cost of fuel is included in the rates paid to private tractor owners engaged by government to plough or plant for farmers. The Assistant Minister further said private tractor owners are encouraged to source funds for fuel themselves adding that they have the opportunity to secure seasonal loan from NDB where they get loan interest subsidy by government. He said the government, under ISPAAD subsidises interest rates by paying the difference between the market and prime rates. The Assistant Minister further said government tractors under ISPAAD programme should not travel more than 20 kilometres (not 15km) from their base adding that farmers outside this radius are encouraged to engage privately owned tractors at government costs. Notwithstanding the above, if there was no rain within the specified area where tractors are based, they can be relocated to work in another area. He said government tractors under ISPAAD are not enough even to cover all farmers in agricultural service centres area where they are based. It is therefore the government policy to engage private tractor to plough /plant for farmers even in those areas within the 20 kilometres radius. Therefore private tractor owners are encouraged to take up the opportunity to plough/plant for farmers. Minister Molebatsi said the decision to limit government tractors to work within a 20 kilometres radius was informed by the fact that, tractors are not meant for travelling long distances but rather to plough and plant. He said any longer distance than the stipulated 20 kilometres radius may lead to damaging of tractor hydraulic system especially that they have to carry implement as well along bad field roads. Therefore, it is critical that tractors are engaged in ploughing/planting than travelling to maximise area planted. MP Kesupile had asked if the minister was aware that tractor owners still require advances for purchase of diesel from those wishing to plough their fields and that this discourages those who cannot get money. (BOPA)
Posted on: Sat, 05 Jul 2014 14:07:43 +0000
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