06 Aug 2015

The outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Hainaveld has been described as a setback for farmers and the local business community.

Speaking in an interview recently, Kgosi Domi Kandu said farmers in Sehithwa and surrounding areas were faced with serious challenges because the outbreak has affected their source of livelihood.

Kgosi Kandu noted that livestock was their main source of income, as most residents in the region were unemployed. He also noted that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has stopped buying cattle in their area since the outbreak.

“We solely depend on local butcheries as well as food chains such as Spar and Choppies to sell our cattle,” said Kgosi Kandu.

He lamented that they could no longer fish at Lake Ngami since it was closed until next year.

 He advised locals to consider trying their hand at other economic activities such as arable farming despite challenges such as the lack of rainfall.

The owner of Divos Holdings, a general dealer in Sehithwa, Mr Christos Thobolo said although they try to support local farmers by buying their cattle, local schools were not keen on buying their meat because of fears that it was not thoroughly inspected. Mr Thobolo explained that he procures meat from Sehithwa, Bothatogo and Kareng to support the struggling farmers. Ends