04 Aug 2019

 Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Fidelis Molao says the government will not consider reverting to the use of bolus, despite challenges with ear tags.  

Minister Molao told a kgotla meeting in Bobonong that the bolus system presented problems of traceability as opposed to the current ear tagging.

He was responding to complaints from village development committee chairperson, Ms Sylvia Phethu who, in her report to President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi, stated that cattle rustlers found it easy to steal cattle with ear tags. 

The minister dismissed perceptions linking ear tagging to easy theft, saying that the chief purpose of tagging was not to stop stocktheft. 

The minister said even with the bolus, cattle rustlers still went on about their business with relative ease. 

Mr Molao pointed out that ear-tagging was advantageous to farmers as they could tag their animals themselves, unlike with the bolus system where they depended on veterinary officers to place the bolus into the animal.

The minister said ear-tagging expedited traceability and curtailed complaints of waiting by framers. 

He pointed out the unreliability of the system illustrating that cattle in Bobonong could mistakenly be traced to areas as far as Tsabong. 

At the same meeting, the minister also conceded to shortage of agricultural demonstrators owing to upskilling of some. 

The minister explained that in the process of upskilling certificate holders to diploma level, some officers would be dispatched routinely to assist other villages, whilst awaiting the return of those undergoing training. 

He also acknowledged the shortage of stock feed at Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB), saying that such was fuelled by farmers who took advantage of the subsidy and bought in bulk. 

However, he promised to request BAMB to expedite stocking, increase their stock and even consider mobile stops to help farmers. 

He revealed that the livestock feed subsidy would be extended to June 2020. Ends