21 May 2013

Chobe residents have challenged government to source alternative markets for their cattle, which are in the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) red zone.

Voicing their concerns to the Parliamentary Select Committee hearings on the enquiry into Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and the decline of the beef industry, farmers called on the government to seek other markets apart from the European Union (EU).

“Re thuseng re tlhasetswe ke tlala mo Chobe, bana ga ba na madi a dikole, beng ba dibutchara ba tsaya dikgomo tsa rona sesolosolo,” lamented one farmer, Ms Jester Mufwanzala. 

Another resident, Mr William Mosweu said they have never tasted financial benefits of rearing cattle because they sell them for P500 each when there is a funeral somewhere, and that is as good as it gets.

 He added that Chobe is a rich region, yet its inhabitants are poor. Mr Mosweu challenged the select committee to solve farmers’ problems now that they are aware of them.  Farmers also complained about the running and management of BMC, saying it was run ‘mafia style’ from the very beginning.

“I wonder if as a committee you have the powers to act and bring to justice these culprits who have turned BMC into the mixed masala that it has turned out to be,” said one Mr Sangwana Sangwana. 

The farmers also suggested that government look into quarantining their cattle to control the spread of FMD.  “Our cattle can be quarantined and put under observation for sometime before selling them to neighbouring countries such as Namibia, Zambia and Angola,” another resident Ms Sense Mokoti opined.

Others supported this idea, saying that since it is the wild animals that worsen the spread of FMD, having veterinary cordon fences and quarantining the cattle might help in curbing this disease and improving the quality of the beef from the area.

“Our neighbouring countries such as Namibia are excelling in income generation from cattle in the red zone by way of quarantining and selling to countries in the SADC region,” said another farmer, Mr Ozias Kalundu.

He emphasised the point that profits can still be made even in areas that have been declared red zones. Farmers who reside in the Chobe enclave villages felt that they had been left out of the BMC hearings as the select committee only went as far as Kasane.

“Kasane ga se Chobe,” one resident pointed out.

Additionally residents advised the committee to get back to them with findings and solutions after the consultations.

The chairperson of the committee and Ngwaketse West MP, Mr Mephato Reatile informed farmers that they would get feedback in the form of a report and not the committee delivering it to them physically. ENDS