12 Jul 2021

Government has relocated 358 small stock from Lobu Farm in the Kgalagadi District to Impala Rural Training Centre in Francistown in an effort to replicate Lobu concept.

The small stock include the Damara sheep, Boer goat, Meat master sheep, Savana goats, the Dorper and Swakara sheeps.

Speaking during the tour of the farm on Saturday,  Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake said the relocation of the small stock indicated that government had started to replicate Lobu concept to Impala Training and Research centre.

Currently, Impala Training and Research Centre is providing services of training farmers on cattle and small stock farming while Lobu ranch breeds small stock and sells to farmers by auction as well as exports pelts or lamb skins to nearby countries.

While there, Ms Manake explained that Francistown Abattoir would soon start to slaughter goat and sheep for the Middle East market.

She said the abattoir was expected to produce quality small stock meat and appealed to farmers to sell their small stock to the abattoir in large numbers so that the country could meet the demand.

Ms Manake further said opening of the facility would encourage many people in the area to start taking small stock production seriously as the small stock sector had potential to grow the economy.

Ms Manake also informed farmers who had accompanied her that another similar project would be undertaken at Sitata in the Boteti Sub-district.

In his welcome remarks, agricultural coordinator for the North East District, Mr Gwilidzani Maposa said the 358 animals  were being monitored and were being vaccinated for heart water disease.

Some of the animals will be donated to farmers while others will be auctioned.

Ms Maposa said the main focus of Impala Research and Training Centre was small stock production because the district was faced with an acute shortage of grazing land.

In this regard, the coordinator encouraged farmers to embark on the business of animal feed production, especially lablab, which is said to be rich in nutrients.

During the tour, the assistant minister was also informed that Botswana did not produce a vaccine for heart water disease.

Acting CEO of Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board, Dr Benjamin Ditsele told the assistant minister that the specialised vaccine was imported from Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

However, the assistant minister expressed surprise why Botswana Vaccine Institute was not capable of producing the vaccine.

The Impala Research and Training Centre covers an area of  1 638 hectares and 38 of the hectares are reserved for arable research and residential purposes.

The remaining 1 600 hectares are for livestock grazing.

There are 249 cattle in the ranch with Botswana’s own breed Musi, being used for breed improvement while the Brahman and Bonsmara breeds are kept as reference herds for validation purposes.  

There is also the Tswana sheep and goats, which are kept for conservation and research. ENDS