By Hunter, Founder and Executive President, Farmer’s Pride International
1. Introduction
The year 2024 marked a pivotal chapter in the journey of Farmer’s Pride International (FPI)—a year of tremendous ambition, painful betrayals, and remarkable rebirth. At the heart of this story is the Farmer’s Roundtable, a visionary initiative I had conceptualized not merely as a gathering of farmers, but as a bold platform to connect agriculture entrepreneurs across Botswana with global investors from China, India, and beyond. Yet, what began as a noble pursuit soon turned into a battlefield of hidden agendas, testing the very soul of our mission.
What follows is both a cautionary tale and a testimony to resilience. For every farmer, leader, or visionary who has dared to build in Africa, this story is for you. It is a reflection on leadership under fire, and the divine lessons hidden in betrayal.
2. The Vision: A Gateway to Global Agriculture Trade
The Farmer’s Roundtable was never meant to be ordinary. Scheduled to take place in Palapye, Botswana, it was designed to be a transformational event—a convergence point where local farmers, high-ranking government officials, Chinese investors, and an agriculture dealer from India would sit at the same table and forge new agricultural destinies. The primary goal was clear: bring capital to rural farmers, build international trade partnerships, and present Botswana as a competitive player in the agro-export value chain.
However, as divine wisdom would later reveal, not every closed door is a curse—sometimes it is God's protection in disguise.
3. When the Masks Fell: Betrayal Within the Camp
Little did I know that the greatest threat to the success of the event would not come from outside, but from within. The very people I had appointed as coordinators and trusted as vision carriers began plotting a coup from the shadows.
One of my most trusted aides—whom I had elevated and entrusted with the use of her land near the venue—suddenly withdrew her offer, citing unpreparedness. But beneath the surface, she was orchestrating an internal hijack, diverting media coverage from a TV station to her own programs, and posing as the host of the project. Instead of collaborating as planned, she led farmers away, claiming credit and sealing deals meant for FPI.
At the same time, another coordinator used the very event to launch her own company, quietly recruiting from among my guests and farmers, knowing full well the sweat and sacrifice I had poured into this vision. While I wrestled to ensure food, logistics, and accommodation for our guests, they were building empires on my back.
Yet I chose stillness over reaction. I remembered the lessons of my mentors—warriors of vision and strategy—and decided to let the storm play out, for I had seen enough to know: a tree shaken by wind reveals its dead branches.
4. Pain in Palapye: A Battle on Two Fronts
During the same roundtable, I was hired by a prominent farming family, who—unbeknownst to me—had also hired my sabotaging coordinator. She told them she was “running her own show,” and in an ironic twist, brought the very same products sold by FPI to this farm. I was instructed to take back my company’s goods while her offering was embraced.
The humiliation was sharp and public. My vehicle broke down on arrival, and the farm owner, once promising support, turned against me. I was subjected to insults, isolation, and rejection, while my coordinator reaped my harvest. In a painful turn of events, I even shared a video about a South African potato distribution firm—only for them to cut me off later and form a partnership with the firm behind my back.
Still, God was writing a bigger story. The chaos was not random—it was the birth pangs of elevation. The betrayals exposed the rot I had nurtured in my pursuit to help others rise. And so, I let them take the crumbs while I reached for the bread.
5. September’s Setback: The Ukrainian Delegation and a Power Struggle in Gaborone
Barely recovered from Palapye, I hosted another major event in Gaborone, the capital. This time, I invited six Ukrainian agriculture companies. Determined to be meticulous, I brought on board a retired government official turned event organizer. I warned her of the temptations of greed and betrayal, and she pledged loyalty. But within two months, she transformed from supporter to saboteur, manipulating structures to seize control of the entire organization.
We had agreed to form a unifying company to house our ventures—but once again, greed drowned vision, and the company was dissolved under questionable means. The same fate as before, yet this time, I was prepared.
6. From Potatoes to Moringa: A Strategic Rebirth
The betrayal in the potato project had become too toxic, so I closed it permanently. I refused to speak about it, refused to defend myself, and instead shifted my energy to Moringa farming—a new frontier, a goldmine in agro-exports, and a healing agent in both health and leadership.
Today, I am building an empire that no man can hijack. I have:
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Established a 24-hour podcasting studio under Legacy Media and Publications;
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Removed coordinators and replaced them with a dedicated executive team;
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Built internal systems that safeguard vision while eliminating gatekeepers of sabotage;
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Expanded into media, agro-processing, training, and export—with no compromise on ethics or quality.
I no longer chase TV stations for coverage. I create it. I no longer beg for partnerships. I vet them. I am not bitter. I am better.
7. Benefits of the Farmer’s Roundtable – And Why We Shall Return
Despite the betrayals, the Farmer’s Roundtable remains a powerful tool with immense benefits:
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Facilitates direct investment into the agriculture sector;
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Connects farmers with global trade partners;
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Enables policy dialogue, agricultural finance innovation, and market access;
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Builds stronger value chains through structured cluster engagements.
We shall revive it—but this time, with integrity, screening, and in-house media power. The event taught me the value of ownership, internal capacity, and strategic partnerships.
8. Conclusion: A Seed Planted in Tears, Reaped in Glory
As I look back on the Farmer’s Roundtable 2024, I do so not with regret, but with reverence. It was the battlefield where I shed the old skin and embraced my true leadership. The betrayal was a blessing. The sabotage was a signal. And the pain became a platform.
Now, I rise—not alone, but with a team of visionaries, unshaken by greed, ready to change Africa through agriculture.
I am Hunter. I am not just a survivor—I am a builder of legacies.
Let the world watch what we build next.
The best has just begun.
For Contact, Media, and Collaborations:
Hunter – Executive President
Hunter’s Global Network PTY LTD & Farmer’s Pride International
📍 Plot 12996, Mine Houses, Monarch, Francistown, Botswana
📩 Emails: hunter@hg-network.org | hunter@farmerspride-int.org | hunter@legacymedia.co.bw
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