10 Dec 2019

The Chobokwane AI camp is currently operational, and has already entered 250 cattle which is the current maximum carrying capacity of the farm this breeding season. 

Answering a question in Parliament, the assistant minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security Ms Beauty Manake said the information provided was as at November 28.

She said farmers had been entering for insemination at the Ncojane AI camp, on average 600 cattle per year.  She, however, said it was regrettable that they could not enter cattle for AI breeding because of lack of water.

 “The plan to reticulate water from the Department of Water Affairs underground water monitoring borehole was not approved. The said borehole is seventeen (17) kilometres away from the farm,” she said. She said her ministry in conjunction with Department of Water Affairs was in the process of Drilling and equipping of a new borehole, an exercise which was planned for the fourth quarter of the 2019/ 2020 financial year.

She further said the ministry was aware that the capacity for Chobokwane AI centre could be 600 cattle per breeding season but it had since been reduced to 250 due to overgrazing and droughts. 

“Overgrazing became a problem during the restocking for Zones 6 and 7 as the camp was used as buying and holding centre in 2013/14. This was further aggravated by the use of one paddock by the Botswana Police Service since 2006, to keep livestock exhibits,” she said. 

Ms Manake said for the Chobokwane AI farm to go back to its original carrying capacity, it required rangeland rehabilitation and a lot of rain, hence it would be difficult to put timelines on such.

She explained that the farm had a carrying capacity of 800 heads of cattle, but during the current breeding season it could only sustain 250 cattle, the number already entered as at November 28.

Ms Manake said Ncojane AI camp would be operational in the 2020/21 breeding season.

She said the Ncojane AI camp had not entered cattle since 2017/18 breeding season due to the collapse of the borehole as per the expert reports from the Department of Water Affairs and Water utilities Corporation.

The Member of Parliament for Ghanzi South Mr Motsamai Motsamai had asked the minister if she was aware that the Ncojane and Chobokwane AI camps had been closed.

He also wanted to know the implication of the closure to farmers and the timelines for opening the two AI Camps. ends