Botswana: The President of the Republic of Botswana, Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi, was present at the launch of the first harvest in Selebi Phikwe. During the launch event, the president of Botswana marked a historic moment by making the first citrus fruit harvest.
The President of the country signed the 1st Harvest from the Selebi Citrus Farm. The consignment of citrus fruits is the first to be ferried off to Canada. Officials have shared that the first harvest was an important event for the country’s agriculture sector.
Several government members attended the event on Thursday and congratulated the stakeholders on its success. The country’s president delivered a brief address at the event and reiterated his government’s commitment to developing the agriculture sector.
Dr Masisi said the shipment of the fruits to the export markets demonstrates that Botswana is agriculturally strong. The country can export agricultural products other than beef.
The President also highlighted the state-of-the-art Packhouse that the agriculture stakeholders are working on. He claimed it would ensure that citrus fruit production is fully compliant with the stringent quality and health requirements of the export markets.
The Selebi Phikwe Citrus Project is the first citrus project of the country. It is one of the largest consolidated citrus projects in Southern Africa. The project includes more than 800,000 different citrus trees cultivars such as Lemons, Grapefruit, Mandarins, Navels and Valencia.
President Mokgweetsi Masisi stated that the European Union (EU) market has been secured and confirmed to receive all cultivars of Botswana’s fresh citrus fruits. Further, the government is currently negotiating with five other (5) Protocol Markets, including the USA, China, Vietnam, South Korea and the Philippines.
The people of the country are extremely happy with the new development. They took to their respective social media accounts to congratulate the government.