17 Sep 2013

Assistant Minister of Agriculture has urged the Botswana National Beef Producers Union (BNBPU) to work with the government in order to improve the local beef industry.

Speaking at the beginning of BNBPU workshop in Gaborone on September 16, Mr Oreeditse Molebatsi said the union must consider itself worthy as it was an essential element for farmers to turn the beef industry around. “Therefore, I expect it to lead by example and demonstrate the highest standards it can master in the running of its affairs and accounting to the farmers,” he said.

Mr Molebatsi also indicated that there was a need to resolve conflict between arable and pastoral farmers nationally regarding the straying of livestock which ended up destroying other people’s crops. He also said they had observed that 20 per cent of cattle taken to the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) were downgraded due to measles.

“This translates to lack of proper ablution on the side of farmers; it therefore calls for farmers to build toilets at their cattle posts and farms to alleviate this problem,” he said. Meanwhile, the assistant minister said this year was declared a drought year following erratic rainfalls.

As a result, he said the ministry had been mandated to provide subsidy on livestock feed and medicines. The subsidy had been developed into two categories, with hard hit areas of Bobonong and Ngamiland receiving 35 per cent and 25 per cent for the rest of the country.

Mr Molebatsi said the selected livestock feeds and medicines included bran, drought pellets, Diculcium phosphate (DCP), salt, Vitamins A, D, E and Botulism vaccine. “All these subsidised products are found in all our Livestock Advisory Centres (LAC) around the country,” he said.

He further said government had made a dispensation to allow export of live cattle until end of this year, December 31. On the pending restocking exercise in Zone 6 and Zone 7, Mr Molebatsi said all cattle for restocking Zone 7 have been secured and restocking will be complete by end of next month (October).

In Zone 6, he said they had already started buying goats and sheep. Nonetheless, the assistant minister thanked farmers who assisted government during such processes adding he still counted on them as restocking in Zone 6 was yet to be completed. Ends