El Planteo reports
The president of Botswana, Duma Boko, has officially confirmed that the country will launch a pilot cultivation of cannabis for medical use and industrial hemp in December 2025.
This announcement, made during the State of the Nation address in Gaborone, marks the most concrete step taken to date by Botswana towards the implementation of one “regulated national green economy”.
Speaking before Parliament, President Boko stated: “Pilot cultivation will begin in December 2025, under the strict supervision of the competent authorities, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations”.
Although the entire regulatory ecosystem is still in the development phase, legislators have already approved the Cannabis Law and the updated version of the Law on Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, thus establishing the legal framework for future investments.
With this initiative, Botswana joins a growing group of southern African countries (Lesotho, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe) who have already paved the way for licensed production of cannabis and hemp for medical and industrial purposes.
The pilot phase will be carried out at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Sciences (BUAN), under the strict supervision of the Government.
Alliances to promote research and agricultural diversification
The integration of international experience is an essential element of Botswana’s strategy. President Boko stressed that lthe Swedish company Hemp Innovations Europe (HIE) will accompany the country in its first steps towards regulated production. This collaboration follows the signing of a memorandum of understanding between HIE, BUAN, the National Institute of Agricultural Research and Development (NARDI) and the office of the president.
“These associations will allow research and development in the field of cultivation and transformation of industrial hemp and the medical cannabis. The project will be carried out in stages, starting with trials at BUAN and subsequently extending to Botswana farmers interested in industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis”, Boko announced.
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Beyond academic support, this initiative is part of a broader policy change aimed at strengthen agricultural diversification. The Government wants to develop new value chains, strengthen scientific capacities and promote innovation in the hemp and cannabis sectors. This includes future ones opportunities for local farmers once the initial research phase is completed.
The climate resilience it is a central element of Botswana’s vision. With producers losing up to 5,000 tonnes of annual production due to droughts, pests, floods and forest fires, the Government is looking crops capable of resisting more difficult environmental conditions.
He hemp he seems to be a candidate strategic. Its low water consumption, its resistance to pests and its deep root system adjust to the country’s agricultural challenges. The integrating industrial hemp into Botswana’s agricultural systems could help stabilize production and reduce vulnerability to climate phenomena.
Currently, agriculture only contributes 2% to Botswana’s GDP, but the Government is determined to triple this figure. Within the framework of the twelfth national development plan, the authorities have set the objective of increasing the share of this sector to at least 6% in the medium term.
