30 Aug 2017

Mahalapye Sub district - Department of Veterinary Services superintendent, Mr Rapula Chepete has appealed to farmers to register their feedlots, lands, ranches and kraals.

Briefing Mahalapye Sub-district councillors on August 28, Mr Chepete said by registering their farm lands, farmers would among other benefits, qualify to sell cattle to European Union (EU) market.

Mr Chepete explained that there were some guidelines and requirements which had to be followed for farmers to sell beef at the EU market.

He said the department concentrated on commercial farms, but realised that farmers who rear livestock on communal areas should also be given an opportunity to sell to the EU market.

He said they had realised that livestock husbandry management dynamics in Botswana indicate that 80 per cent of cattle were reared communal farming while 20 per cent was commercial farming.

He noted that one of the requirements of the EU market was keeping of records such as exact location, health status and treatment of each individual animal, adding that these were crucial for market access.

Mr Chepete said currently communal reared cattle in approved territories for EU slaughter were being routed through fenced farms or feedlots to guarantee the requisite residency period.

He said the practice was to increase the low off take of beef to the EU market, therefore, all farmers whether commercial and communal must comply with the requirements for them to be considered.

‘A holding means a farm or other officially supervised agricultural undertaking belonging to different keepers within a communal area, like kraal, sub-crush, fenced farm, feedlot and watering point,’ he said.

He said for one to be considered, they should first have a keeper ID card and having passed all the holding checklist requirements.

Mr Chepete said for one to register for a holding under feedlot they should have a valid keeper ID, feedlot ownership certificate from relevant authority, stock-proof perimeter fence and demarcated and dedicated animal handing facilities.

In addition, he said there should be a reliable source of water, feed storage facility and sanitary provision.

For a kraal, he said farmers should have a valid keeper ID, land ownership certificate from relevant authority, intact and cattle proof boundary constructed of poles, fences or dead tree branches.

He said also for kraals with no contiguous cattle handling facilities an assembly centre approved by the veterinary authority should exist in the vicinity, sanitary provision and alignment to an epidemiological crush.

Mr Chepete said even watering-point and ploughing fields have requirements which should be followed and approved by the Veterinary Competent Authority.

However, he explained that successful registration of a holding kraal does not imply automatic approval to slaughter animals cosigned to the EU market.

He further advised councillors to acquaint themselves with the Branding Act. ENDS