11 Apr 2017

Hainaveld commercial farmers have been urged to change their mindset towards rearing of livestock and try new management practices in order to make their ranches more profitable.

An official from UNDP, Mr Innocent Magole who is also the coordinator of Ngamiland Sustainable Land Management (SLM) Project advised the farmers during a stakeholder seminar held at Hainaveld farms recently.

He briefed the gathering about holistic land management practices, observing that currently farmers were not making profits looking at their input.

He said the recent benchmarking mission to Zimbabwe with some farmers had taught them a lot as they learnt how a bare ground could become productive.

The delegation visited Dimbangambe farm to have an overview on holistic management practice.

He explained that they could intervene in four variables in order for farmers to make profits.

The variables he mentioned included stocking rate, off take, human resource or labour and Code Dress Mass (CDM).

Mr Magole noted that it was advisable for farmers to change the way they had been doing things adding that it was ideal to increase stocking rate, off-take, labour and CDM.

Furthermore, he said beef industry was one sector that could contribute significantly to the country’s economy just like the tourism sector.

He said currently the tourism sector employed 9 000 people and generated P1.2 billion noting that the beef industry could do the same if farmers could adapt to new farming management practices.

“I urge you to try and change your mindset towards rearing of livestock so that you take the beef industry to greater heights,” he added.

He said they would assist in training farmers to develop grazing plans so that they could be able to increase stocking rate and practice round the clock livestock management.

Mr Magole also informed the farmers that one objective of the SLM projectwas to improve range management so that it lasted from January to December.  

He said they believed that if farmers could use better land use plans, they could manage to achieve the objective.

Another objective of the project was to reduce livestock diseases that affected the beef industry in Ngamiland and also worked with Botswana Meat Commission to secure alternative markets.

Currently, he said they supported Department of Veterinary Services in implementing Botswana Animal Information Traceability System (BAITS) adding that they conducted awareness campaigns.

For his part, the district agricultural coordinator, Mr Obert Mabutha said the seminar was crucial as it gave farmers opportunity to learn new technologies and share ideas which would eventually assist them to improve their farming.

He expressed concern about the low implementation of ear tagging initiative in Hainaveld noting that about 36 381 ear tags had been issued and only 8 198 had been used.

He said that was worrisome and urged farmers to tag their cattle because going forward, they might stop using the manual permit.

He urged them to take BAITS initiative seriously as it was for their own benefit and could be key to international markets despite the challenges they faced in the district. ENDS