18 Jul 2021

Government through the Economic Recovery and Transformation Plan (ERTP) has set aside P7 million to purchase bucks and rams for distribution to farmers across the country, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi has said.

Speaking during the launch of Impala Research Centre on Friday (July 16), President Masisi explained that this was part of efforts to address the challenge of shortage of quality genetics.

In addition, the President said the government had procured a total of 1 million electronic ear tags for small stock, at a cost of P20 million to enhance traceability of the animals and ensure compliance with international standards.  

He said all these efforts were aimed at ensuring that the country had a consistent supply of quality and quantity to the external markets.

“My recent initiative of distributing rams and bucks to farmers was to promote the quality and quantity of small stock”, he said.
He said the government was committed to commercialising the small stock sub-sector in the country and in particular in the northern part of Botswana, which currently had smaller numbers.
“In order to derive full benefits of the exports markets, I urge all Batswana to practice good production and management practices to increase the national herd and also improve the quality of our breeding animals”, he said.

He also informed the audience that presently the national population of sheep and goats stood at 264 962 and 1 259 411 respectively.
Dr Masisi explained that the North East District that comprised Tati East and West had 64 526 goats and 7 000 sheep, adding that the numbers of sheep only formed nine per cent of the total small stock population in the North East District which gave an immediate opportunity for sheep production in the district.

The President further said it was against this backdrop that the government was in the process of setting up another centre of excellence in Impala Rural Training Centre in Francistown after using Lobu Farm in Kgalagadi South Region as a model for transformation of small stock production.
He said these centres of excellence would be established by accrediting both facilities and trainers to give small stock farmers an intensive training with emphasis on hands on training and creating the knowledge hub for the transformation of the sub-sector.

“Impala Rural Training Centre is strategically located because of its proximity to the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) which will handle issues of research and development.
The envisaged centre of excellence will leverage on the existing indigenous small stock genetics, which DAR has already done some work on”, he said.

He further noted that Impala was closer to Francistown making easy access to critical amenities such as transport, water, roads, banks, as well as research institutions.
“I am reliably informed that farmers in the neigbouring areas like Gulushabe cluster in Tonota and Jackalas 1 produce substantial amount of fodder especially Lablab (seeds & forage) which is an important component of smallstock production”, he said.
He explained that he was proud of emerging farmers, especially the youth, who pulled their resources together in the quest to improve the numbers of their smallstock.
“Last year I donated a buck to a group of young farmers in Dukwi who owned 91 goats collectively”, he said.

He explained that other groups had approached the Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food Security to be assisted with forming associations and urged government officials in the ministry to be ready to assist such groups as they were the country’s change agents.

He further said efforts were being made by government to secure external markets for small stock meat and the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) abattoir in Francistown had been identified as a strategic processing plant for these markets adding that the necessary engagements were ongoing to ensure that the plant started operating.

Dr Masisi said objectives of these centres would be capacity building of farmers to improve smallstock management, entrepreneurial skills and the supply of high quality breeds to farmers.
He said the government was taking steps to improve accessibility to quality stock as evidenced by the recent transfer of quality sheep and goats from Lobu Farm to Impala Ranch.
 

The launch of the centre also saw the relocation of over 250 small stock from Lobu ranch in the Kgalagadi district to resuscitate the centre, which the President said would be auctioned to farmers.

Speaking at the same event, the Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Karabo Gare said the resuscitation of the Impala training centre by replicating the Lobu ranch was intended to improve training of farmers in the northern region in order to capacitate them to produce quality meat of sheep and goats.
He therefore appealed to farmers to fully utilise the training centre to grow the small stock industry and promote food security.
Giving a vote of thanks, the Tati East MP, Dr Douglas Letsholathebe thanked the President for promoting the small stock industry through his personal initiative of donating rams and bucks to prospective farmers.

He said the North East District had a smaller population of goat and sheep and the gesture would motivate farmers, adding that farmers in the region were happy that the Francistown abattoir would re-open for slaughtering sheep and goats.

The minister explained that his ministry was also committed to doing more research and innovation to improve the small stock industry..

The President and his entourage also toured the Francistown BMC to appreciate its readiness to start slaughtering goats and sheep for the Middle East  market.  ends