Botswana to Introduce New Drought-Tolerant Rice Varieties to Increase Yields

The National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI) of Botswana and African Agriculture PTY LTD (AA), an agricultural company based in Gaborone have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce new drought-tolerant rice varieties to increase yields in the country.

The collaboration is expected to promote rice cultivation in Botswana.

“Rice is the third most imported cereal and contributes substantially to the country’s escalating food import bill,” said Tiny Diswai, deputy permanent secretary of the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security, at the signing ceremony in Gaborone on Monday.

Miles Nan, managing director of AA, stated that the collaboration was motivated by a common vision to tackle the limitation of Botswana’s agricultural limitations. The collaboration also aims to develop a cooperative framework for the country’s agricultural development.