01 Mar 2016

Construction of small stock abattoir in Tsabong is expected to commence in the first half of the 2016/17 financial year, Parliament heard on Monday.

Presenting the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development’s budget Minister  Slumber Tsogwane said the project would be funded through Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development (LIMID).

Also, he said the agro processing plant in Selebi-Phikwe was expected to have backward and forward linkages sub-sectors, adding a total of 131 farmers from various locations including Bobonong (29), Selebi-Phikwe (22), Tonota (40), Palapye (30) and Tuli Block (10) had been mobilised to grow and produce for the plant.

The minister also indicated that following declaration of drought through a Presidential Directive of June 2015 which effected in July last year, government had responded comprehensively to the ongoing drought, adding a number of interventions were put in place.

    “In light of the worsening drought and subsequent increase in livestock mortality, further intervention was made by way of increasing livestock feed subsidy from 25 to 50 per cent with effect from December 2015,” he said.

Moreover, he said water supply demand would be augmented by emergency water supply provided by the Ministry of Minerals, Energy and Water Resources.

    He added that the Ministry of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism was also undertaking construction and maintenance of firebreaks in Kgalagadi, Ghanzi, Kweneng, Ngamiland and Central districts as well as maintenance of fences at Dithopo Game Ranch, Kalahari Trans Frontier Park, Khutse Game Reserve, Makgadikgadi and Tuli Block.

    Other interventions, he said included provision of normal and double food ratio for vulnerable groups countrywide.

    On food relief, the minister said the ministry continued to provide supplementary feeding to identified vulnerable groups at primary schools and health facilities through food relief services.

Under primary schools feeding programme, he said the ministry would continue to provide supplementary feeding to primary schools which had a total enrollment of 331 000 pupils.

“This programme includes supply of agricultural fresh produce which is now in its seventh year,” he said. Ends