11 Apr 2020

Lake Ngami Conservation Trust will soon venture into a fodder production project in a bid to fight bush encroachment around the lake.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) recently purchased fodder machinery worth P85 000 for the trust to start the fodder production project.

The machinery, which was bought from a local company in Francistown includes tree shredder, hammer mill and pellet making machine for end production. 

A consultant from UNDP, Mr Obonetse Lebakanyane said the project was intended to address the invasive bush encroachment plants that were taking over the grazing lands around the lake.

He revealed that this would result in improved range lands, and improve the livelihoods of the communities affiliated to the trusts and the entire district community.

Furthermore, he explained that the UNDP officials were to train beneficiaries in collaboration with strategic partners but the training was suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic.

He said a decision was taken by the trust to train 14 members of the community comprising of six livestock farmers from the six villages affiliated to the trust to give them a sense of ownership of the project and ensure sustainability.

Other trainees would be representatives from the trust leadership, village, Technical Advisory Committee, Sehithwa Village Development Committee and some representatives from Department of Animal Production who are the key partners.

Mr Lebakanyane hoped that things would be normalised soon and training would be conducted so that UNDP could hand over the machinery to the trust for operation of the project.

Meanwhile, the Lake Ngami trust has benefited immensely from UNDP through the Ngamiland Sustainable Land Management (SLM) project, which ended last year. The trust benefited from other projects including production of charcoal.

Over 100 community members around Lake Ngami villages have been trained in charcoal production and the charcoal produced was sold for income generation. ENDS