08 Nov 2017

Ntlo ya Dikgosi has rejected a motion calling for compensation of commercial livestock farmers who lose cattle due to drought after getting assistance from financing institutions such as National Development Bank.

The motion, which was tabled by Kgosi Kgosidialwa Moalosi of Tonota Region asked the House to ‘request government to consider compensating farmers who had received financial assistance through banks like the National Development Bank, but lost some of their cattle due to drought yet were still expected to repay loans’.  

Presenting the motion, Kgosi Moalosi argued that commercial livestock farmers whose businesses were affected by drought should be assisted like arable farmers.

He said arable farmers were assisted with a financial scheme in 2014 after their businesses were affected by drought. 

Likewise, he called for commercial livestock farmers whose cattle perished due to drought to be given some form of relief when they were still repaying loans. 

He said existing subsidies for stock feeds and medicine for livestock were not enough to cushion pastoral farmers from effects of drought. 

He said if commercial livestock farmers were to be given more assistance the cattle industry would start performing better and contribute more to the economy.

However, the motion was rejected after being opposed by Kgosi Nametso Kopelo of Molepolole Region and Kgosi Seate Marumo of Kanye Region while no member of the House supported it.

Kgosi Kopelo argued that commercial livestock farmers were already receiving assistance by getting funding from financial institutions. 

He therefore said commercial farmers should manage the risk emanating from that financial assistance, instead of expecting government to help them every time there were difficulties. 

Kgosi Marumo said drought was a risk factor which every commercial farmer should anticipate and have a plan of how they would handle it to avoid losing a lot of livestock. 

“The loan itself is an assistance, it is a very rare opportunity. We are fortunate in our country to be able to get advancement from loans. It is difficult in other countries to get an opportunity like this one,” he said. 

He said if the motion were to pass, it would create a nation that is too dependent on government. 

He urged farmers to make insurance policies for their livestock to avoid suffering too much damage from severe drought.

The minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mr Kenneth Matambo said government was already helping commercial livestock farmers with subsidies for feeds and medicine. 

He said the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Food Security, through the Animal Production Unit was also giving commercial livestock farmers a lot of assistance. ENDS