06 May 2018

Botswana can export genetic products to the continent, says chief executive officer (CEO) and breeder principal of Impact Genetics, Mr Monty Chiepe.

Speaking in an interview after  a presentation on innovative livestock production systems and viability models at a Farmers Day held at Bolela Farm recently, Mr Chiepe said apart from exporting beef, the country could also export genetic products.

He said the country could diversify the economy and export semen and embryo to the rest of Africa.  

However, he said Botswana’s beef industry was not well structured and that it was not really commercial.

Mr Chiepe said the prevalence  of weekend, hobby, commercial, subsistence  and retirement farmers made it difficult to have an industry that could be professionalised, adding that the absence of professionalism created a disconnect with the reality of the market.

He said the challenges they encountered with BMC such as disruptions in international markets as well as the failure to pay farmers on time mpacted on farmers .

Mr Chiepe said they were also looking at farmers ownership, the kind of problems that affected the industry and organising themselves in order to rise to the occasion.
 

“Looking at these problems as an emerging market, realising that it is difficult with the skills base to come up with a well organised value chain, we at Impact Genetics decided that we have to create a proof of concept and runway that will look at key success factors such that we will be able to manage the risks associated with those and convert that into a model.”
 

He said the model was founded primarily on driving full reproductive technologies, artificial insemination and embryo transfer.

Mr Chiepe said they were able to use embryo transfer extensively, and that they were now comfortable to turn it into a production system that was scalable and could do at a large scale. He added that they intend to roll it to farmers not only at the individually, but also at the association and national level.

He said they had the capacity to use their processes and systems to impact on the farmers in order to create an efficient economy and industry.

He added that they were also looking at putting Botswana in a strategic position to optimise its strength and mitigate weaknesses.   

Mr Chiepe said their world proposition would be excellence oriented.

He said they were currently trying train local communities to understand that it was imperative, and that they have challenges in the global markets. He added that they were also trying to make communities to understand the international market and their options.

He said they were also looking at the threats that were looming for them to become relevant  in the long term.  

Mr Chiepe said they would  now be able to take the production systems to create viability models that they were able to take to new levels, and improve on how farms and farmers have been performing.

He said they were looking at a new dynamic in terms of the future of the industry.

Mr Chiepe said they now have proof of concepts in terms of the cattle they were able to breed and that some were showcased at the farmer’s day.

 He said they were looking at both the beef and dairy sector and their integration, and that they using methods that were adoptable to one’s circumstance. He said the same animals could have some kind of simplicity for both sectors, adding that this could position Botswana to be competitive in the future.

He said they  were looking at dealing with import substitutions as the country imported about half a billion Pula worth annually,.

Mr Chiepe said he was optimistic that they could sort that in six years. He said inefficiencies of the beef industry could also change in terms of export areas. Ends