08 Jul 2014

Parliament on Friday (July 4) rejected a motion by the MP for Shoshong, Mr Phillip Makgalemele calling on government to commit additional resources outside the NDP 10 either through borrowing or other means to assist the Ministry of Agriculture to undertake as a matter of urgency, a bankable feasibility study on the full roll out of the 1991 fencing policy given the huge opportunity costs borne as a result of not fully implementing the policy.

Presenting the motion, Mr Makgalemele expressed his concern on the delay by government to implement the fencing component of the recommendations of the National Policy on Agricultural Development of 1991 which called for government to allow farmers where possible to fence livestock farming land either as individuals, groups or communities to improve productivity of the livestock sub-sector, curb the spread of diseases and ensure suitable use of range resources.

Mr Makgalemele said the loss of the EU market by Botswana can be attributed to lack of the fencing policy, thus leading to poverty and loss of revenue for the county as most farmers that provide Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) with cattle are those in unfenced communal areas.

He said even in prime cattle areas such as Gantsi the implementation rate of the fencing component is too slow, something that government attributes to lack of sufficient financial resources.

“Non implementation is also making the country vulnerable to disease control.  The minister has in fact confirmed that the loss of P73 million by BMC due to measles was compounded by failure to implement the fencing policy as well as failure by farmers to build sanitary facilities,” he said.

Mr Makgalemele also said the delay in implementing the fencing policy frustrates economic diversification and growth through the agricultural sector, as well as exacerbates crop damage by livestock, ultimately affecting food security.

He also said that the non-implementation of this policy is draining the economy and fuelling poverty as the country is losing on its full capacity to maximise business opportunities presented by the livestock sector for lucrative markets such as the EU.

Responding to the motion, the Minister of Finance and Development planning, Mr Kenneth Matambo said that even though the motion was in good spirit, it will not be possible to commit additional resources outside the National Development Plan (NDP) 10.

Mr Matambo said even borrowing from external sources for projects that have not been included in the NDP 10 cannot be possible, and advised that the motion should instead be amended to require the Ministry of Agriculture to make a provision for funding the said feasibility study in their budget for the next financial year.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Christiaan De Graaff however, supported the motion on condition that it is amended, saying that the future of the livestock industry in the county, especially cattle lies with the ability of his ministry to control diseases.

He said such failure makes it difficult for the country to compete for the European market with neighbouring countries such as Namibia and South Africa.

He said Namibia has about 90 per cent of its communal land fenced compared to Botswana which has fenced only around 20 percent. The motion was rejected through a vote. ENDS