LONG-TERM INVESTMENT AND CAPACITY PATTERNS IN PUBLIC AGRICULTURAL R&D

• Overall, agricultural research and development (R&D) spending rose rapidly in Botswana until 2007, after which it fell in response to spiraling ination levels, which prompted the government to cut funding to many public-sector agencies. • Agricultural R&D capacity levels followed a similar trend. The Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) has serious diculties attracting and retaining well-qualied sta because of its low salary levels compared with parastatals such as the Botswana College of Agriculture (BCA) and the National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC). • Compared with R&D sta in many other countries in the region, Botswana’s pool of agricultural researchers is younger and less qualied in terms of postgraduate degrees. • The country’s agricultural R&D is almost entirely funded by the government. Donor funding plays a negligible role