08 Jul 2021

Dairy farming remains crucial because Botswana fails to meet the milk demand, Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake, has said.

During a visit to Sereledi Farm at Polokabatho cattle post near Maun on Tuesday, she said dairy farmers produced about 12 per cent of milk required in the country.

Ms Manake said there were only 50 dairy farmers with 10 being commercial and the rest small-middle farmers.

Ms Manake therefore encouraged a young farmer, Ms Nonny Wright of Sereledi Farm to be strong though hert farm was experiencing challenges. 

“I urge you not to quit even though there is not much supportive programmes in place for dairy farming,” she said.

She noted that dairy farmers experienced many challenges especially that their undertaking was capital intensive. 

Ms Manake observed that Ms Wright who has been a dairy farmer for about seven years had zeal and commitment to the project.

She said Ms Wright chose farming after completing tertiary and took over management of the dairy farm from her mother. 

She further urged established dairy farmers to help upcoming farmers.

For her part, Ms Wright said her farming experience was both beautiful and difficult. 

She said she had jersey cows and initially used artificial insemination to increase stock, but introduced a bull this year

She said she had also diversified her products by producing drinking yogurt, fresh milk and sour milk. 

She said as requirement by the Botswana Bureau of Standards she was currently rebranding her products.

The main challenge in her dairy farm business, she said, was lack of water as the farm was situated in a dry land. 

 

She said her efforts to drill water hit a snug as the water was salty and required about P600 000 for purification, which she said was a lot of money she could use to further develop her breed. ENDS