05 Apr 2021

Despite having suffered a minor set-back, Ms Elizabeth John, a beneficiary of President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi’s initiative of rams and bucks, has started to enjoy the fruits of the initiative.

The buck that was initially donated to her by President Masisi died last year, although having left 10 off-springs in two months after the donation. 

She currently has 65 goats out of which 10 are the off-springs of the donated buck.

Donating another buck to Ms John, Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Karabo Gare said the fact that the buck was able to produce off-springs in two months was an indication that small stock farming had good returns.He encouraged Batswana to venture into small stock production, adding that the President had identified and secured lucrative markets for small stock meat in Saudi Arabia and Norway.

Minister Gare also clarified that President Masisi’s initiative was not budgeted for in the national budget. 

The minister advised Ms John to look after the second ram so that it did not suffer from heartwater disease like the first one. 

He also encouraged Ms John to take her small stock farming seriously as it was a lucrative business.

For her part, Ms John shared how losing the first buck, which she had named Peo, was a painful experience. 

She was thankful that her dream had been fulfilled within a short period of time and thanked President Masisi for the buck which gave her off-springs.

She informed the minister that she had already paid back the Youth Development Fund (YDF) loaned to her in 2017. Ms John was funded by YDF in 2017 and started her small stock business with only 50 goats. In 2018 she sold nine female goats to LIMID and 12 female goats the following year. 

The area MP, Mr Douglas Letsholathebe informed Mr Gare that just like Botswana’s beef, the quality of Botswana’s small stock meat was good.

Mr Letsholathebe, who is also Minister of Tertiary Education, Research, Science and Technology decried the poor state of the road between Tonota-Ditladi and Patayamatebele, saying the road needed to be improved to bitumen standard. 

He said the road was used by farmers to transport their produce to markets in Francistown.ends