09 Feb 2021

The Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake, says the dairy industry has potential to create employment opportunities for the youth through the dairy value chain.

She was responding to questions asked by Shoshong MP, Mr Aubrey Lesaso, during parliament session recently, who asked the minister of  Agricultural Development and Food Security whether there was an opportunity to create youth employment through value chain in dairy farming.

He also asked of numbers of successful dairy farm projects, as well as numbers of dairy farmers selling milk to Serowe Milk Processing Plant.

Moreover he asked of young dairy farmers who have been funded in the Shoshong, Mahalapye and Palapye areas.

Ms Manake said shortage of milk was the major challenge affecting the growth of the milk products value chain; however she said an increase in dairy herd, milk production would increase and milk products value chain will grow.

She further said the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Food Security will identify land that can be leased to the private sector fodder production to support the dairy industry.

“The  Dairy Value Chain Study of 2015 has identified components within the value  chain such as yoghurt, cheese, butter, sour milk, ice cream production, dairy cattle breeding, milk distribution, fodder production and supply of veterinary requisites as opportunities that can be exploited for the development and growth of the subsector,” he said.

Ms Manake further said no young farmer has been funded by the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security in Shoshong, Serowe, Mahalapye and Palapye area.

She also said there has been no funding programme for commercial livestock production in the Ministry of Agriculture Development and Food Security since cessation of the Financial Assistance Policy (FAP) in 2000. ENDS