BAMB paying well: Wotho

The Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) Chief Executive Officer Edison Wotho has brushed aside claims by farmers that BAMB is buying their products at low prices. Wotho, who firmly dismissed the claims, said BAMB is the best paying in the world when it comes to agricultural products. Farmers across the nation have decried BAMB’s pricing strategy, saying it is buying their products at a low price while it is expensive for them to produce. The farmers are of a view that production expenses are very high while the market is paying very little. Some of the farmers had aired concerns that for them to start producing well, they should be motivated by good BAMB prices. The farmers particularly are looking at the prices of sorghum and maize. Most farmers seem to be happy with the price of beans which is said to be very attractive. According to BAMB price list, a 50kg bag of Tswana beans, Sugar beans and Black-eye beans is bought at P700 for Grade 1 while Grade 2 goes for P490. This is opposed to the P111 for the 50kg bag of sorghum and P81 for Grade 1 white maize for the individual producers. Since the price…