15 Feb 2021

Hainaveld commercial farmer, Mr Sekeletu Sekeletu believes that if done properly, the beef industry can contribute significantly to the country’s economy, just like the tourism sector.

He is of the view that change of mindset towards rearing of livestock and trying new management practices, could make farming more profitable and bigger contributor to the economy.

Mr Sekeletu, a renowned farmer in the Hainaveld ranches, some 100 kilometres in the western side of Maun, owns a big ranch, which he acquired back in the early 70s.

He revealed that he was now enjoying the benefits of adapting new management practices, following a UNDP-sponsored benchmarking mission to Zimbabwe, to appreciate their counterparts’ livestock management styles.

He said he was fortunate to be amongst a delegation to Dimbangambe farm in Zimbabwe, to observe the holistic management system and hiring of well-paid eco-rangers.

Mr Sekeletu said the benchmarking trip had worked wonders for him as he was now deriving benefits from practising new ways of managing livestock, adding that the holistic management system had taught him how bare ground could become productive in no time.

He further revealed that he decided to apply the knowledge and information he acquired because he saw a lot of benefits from the new system, which he said was an answer to farmers’ woes, including overgrazing.

He said the system encouraged farmers to have a grazing plan, supervise their livestock 24/7, as well as promoting proper livestock management practices.

Mr Sekeletu said he had started practising proper rotational grazing and seen improvement, more so that Ngamiland district was prone to severe droughts. 

He explained that he had divided his ranch into six paddocks and kept cattle in one paddock for a month, then relocated them to another to allow the first one to become productive, as opposed to keeping them in one paddock for 2-3 months as he used to.

Mr Sekeletu said since he started applying the new technology, he had seen a huge improvement, adding that his herd had also multiplied because he could monitor them better.

He said he wished farmers could adapt new farming technologies to improve the beef industry and encouraged them to develop the habit of reading and researching about new technologies of improving livestock management. ends