16 Dec 2021

The presidential small stock initiative is geared at promoting commercial agricultural development to assist in achieving the Vision 2036 aspiration of sustainable economic development, says President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi.

Presenting two rams and a buck to Nata-Gweta MP, Mr Polson Majaga, as a gift for the Nata Small Stock Centre at a farm in Mmatseta near Kopong yesterday, President Masisi said the donation was part of the overall strategy of boosting commercial small stock farming in Botswana.

The country, he said, needed to continue increasing small stock farmers’ production capacity as the sector had huge growth potential.

“We are working on improving small stock farming, which we believe is profitable and practical to start. Even a youth who has just started working could invest in small stock and if carefully managed the goats and sheep could multiply and become profitable,” Dr Masisi said.

He revealed that after noticing an underutilised state-owned farm in his constituency, MP Majaga, along with stakeholders, negotiated to have it converted into a small stock centre.

To encourage the Nata initiative, President Masisi said he decided to donate two of his own rams plus a buck donated by the National Development Bank (NDB).

Assistant Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Ms Beauty Manake explained that since last year, NDB organised a small stock expo after which it donated either a ram or buck to the presidential initiative.

“They have recently held this year’s expo and decided to continue what they started last year by donating the buck for you to pass on to citizen farmers, as you normally do,” Ms Manake said.

NDB head of shared services, Mr Peter Meswele explained that small stock development promotion was part of the organisation’s process of transitioning to becoming agricultural services oriented.

He said it was one of five sub-sectors NDP sought to promote; the others being beef, poultry, horticulture and arable farming.

Vision 2036 chief executive officer Mr Christopher Molomo said small stock farming was one of the areas accessible to all Batswana and therefore had the potential  to help Botswana realise its aspiration of becoming a high-income country with sustainable livelihoods for the entire citizenry.

Expressing gratitude to the President and NDB, MP Majaga said the centre would also offer training for up and coming small stock  farmers. Ends