The Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security Patrick Ralotsia has come strongly in defence of the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development (ISPAAD), insisting the brainchild of President Ian Khama’s social economic programme was well conceived to put under control the country’s faltering food security.

 “They talk bad (about) the President and his social economic programmes while at the same time running around encouraging their voters to get ready for the programmes,” he said on Wednesday responding to the President’s State of Nation Address, insisting “ISPAAD the brainchild of President Khama as he ascended to power in 2008 was even a hit with opposition MPs” citing opposition Member of Parliament Pius Mokgware as a beneficiary of ISPAAD.

The suggestion did not augur well with Mokgware who pleaded with the ruling party legislator to refrain from peddling untruths as he never applied for any social economic programme under the Khama administration.

“With ISPAAD you never apply we give seeds and fertilisers for free,” Ralotsia retorted continuing with his contribution.
 “And then they say we are doing nothing to improve the agriculture sector and let alone the lives of Batswana in general,” the Minister said, referring to the opposition MPs whom he will deny clarifications lest they water down his ISPAAD programme, Ralotsia said.