30 Jul 2013

The recent outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Limpopo,South Africa will not spread to Botswana.

The Minister of Agriculture, Mr Christiaan De Graaff said farmers in the Thuli Block area should be rest assured that the disease will not spread into Botswana because it broke out in a controlled FMD area. 

Re-submitting before the Parliamentary Select Committee that investigates the decline of the beef industry, Mr De Graaff said the European Union market regulations are becoming more and more stringent on daily basis and emphasised the need for Botswana to look for alternative markets.

He said his ministry through the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) will make sure that FMD free zones (green zones) remain green by maintaining cordon fences.

Minister De Graaff said his ministry will realign the cordon fence in the Boteti area before applying to the EU to have the area declared a green zone.

He said the ministry is fully aware that cordon fences across the country are not in good conditions adding that government continues to find ways of maintain them by securing funds and engaging extra mural prison inmates. 

Minister De Graaff said there was need to expand the Maun cooking facility in order to increase its sales and through put to other parts of the country.

On other issues, he explained that he fired the former BMC financial advisor, Siva Prasad after discovering that he was being paid huge sums of money. He said there was nothing wrong for the CEO to look for a financial advisor but denied accusations levelled against him that he was the one who employed the officer.

Asked whether there was need to build the fourth abattoir in the country, the minister said the issue needs an input of all stakeholders. However, he said it would not be viable particularly that the Francistown and Maun abattoirs had been incurring losses for the past years. 

He took the blame for not firing all the three board members whom the former board chairperson, Mrs Mmapula Modise had recommended for dismissal.

The minister also submitted that he fully supports the newly introduced ear tag identification system adding that it should have been introduced two years back”.

He explained that the bolus system had many challenges as some cattle had been inserted with multiple boluses. ENDS