17 Nov 2020

Botswana has embarked on a massive food security drive through empowering farmers under the Livestock Management and Infrastructure Development (LIMID) Programme. 

Moshupa Sub-district Council chairperson, Mr Peter Sethibe told a council session on November 16 that the country continued to intensify the food security drive to ensure it had enough to feed the populace.

Mr Sethibe said for the financial year 2020/2021, about P3 million was availed for the LIMID programme to complete partially packaged projects and implement a few new ones in the sub-district.

He said most of the partially packaged projects needed feed and other veterinary requisites, adding that from July to August, the department had 116 new small stock projects; Machana six, Pitseng 36 and Manyana 74, as well as seven partially packaged ones in Pitseng, while the backlog for implementation currently stood at 1 318.

Mr Sethibe said the annual official vaccinations for Anthrax and Quarter Evil for cattle, as well as the livestock census were carried out in September to improve the quality and quantity of livestock. 

These activities, he said, were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, adding that to-date, 22 738 of the 50 832 cattle were vaccinated for Anthrax, which translates to 44.7 per cent, while 2 590 out of 20 650 cattle were vaccinated for Quarter Evil representing 12.5 per cent. 

He said good livestock management would revolutionise the agricultural sector and push the economy to another level as well as bolster food security. 

He lamented that the sub-district was lagging behind in registration of holdings, as only 285 of the expected 20 000 were registered. 

c0He said 51 holdings were registered to sell to the European Union market, therefore urged farmers to come forth and register their holdings. 

Mr Sethibe shared that to-date, a total of 188 cattle were sold to BMC, while 881 were sold to local butcheries and feedlots. 

The off take was very low compared to the expected targets of 3 050 cattle for export abattoirs and 2 033 cattle for local slaughter, he said. 

He said although farmers had been given the dispensation to sell their live cattle outside the country, no farmer from the sub-district had taken advantage of it. 

He said a person living with disability from Manyana had benefited this quarter to the tune of P15 000 for start-up of small stock production project.

He said most of the communities practiced dry land crop production, though it was constrained by low and erratic rainfall, with high variability within seasons. 

This, Mr Sethibe said, increased the risk of crop failure, adding that in the past ploughing season, 16 447.09 hectares were ploughed by 4 513 farmers, adding that production reported was only from 4 165.22 hectares by 1 069 farmers, which translated to 25.32 per cent production collection achievement.  

He said the sub-district received 10 tonnes of Sephala Sorghum (Open Pollinated variety) for distribution to extension areas, thus implored those who had registered to go and collect the seeds. 

The sub-council chairperson also implored all Batswana to plough to contribute to food self-sufficiency, borrowing from Biblical axioms that those who work their land will have abundant food, but those who chase fantasies will have their fill of poverty. ends