02 May 2022

Ms Bothoboile Keorapetse of Kgarangwe cattlepost in the Mahalapye West constituency is the first beneficiary of the newly launched bull donation initiative.

Presenting the bull to 64-year-old Ms Keorapetse, Friday, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said, “I applaud you for your passion and commitment to farming, because you are exemplary and an inspiration to most aspiring farmers.”

President Masisi encouraged the spirit of giving among Batswana, explaining that he donated the bull from his farm to help improve the quality of local beef.

“This initiative will be rolled out to all the 57 constituencies - one bull per constituency,” he added.

In his remarks, Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao encouraged Ms Keorapetse to ensure her bull remained healthy by keeping it well fed and vaccinated against diseases ‘as a healthy bull will give you quality breed’.

He also urged her to work closely with district veterinary and animal production officers to help her keep an up to date record of her cattle.

Sharing a brief profile of the farmer, Central District agricultural coordinator, Mr Obert Mabutha said Ms Keorapetse was a self-financed farmer who managed to grow her farming with proceeds from her dress making business.

He explained that Ms Keorapetse began her farming with rearing goats and later on  started rearing cattle.

Accepting the donation, Ms Keorapetse, who is a widow and mother of five, thanked President Masisi for the donation, saying it would motivate her to continue being more committed to farming, as she previously did not have a bull.

She also thanked the Ministry of Agriculture for selecting her to be one of beneficiaries of the initiative.

“You did very well by selecting me, as a woman, to receive this donation and I assure you that I will take care of Seane, as I now tcall my bull, and I will not disappoint,” she promised.

Vision 2036 coordinator, Mr Christopher Molomo hailed the initiative, which is an initiative led by President Masisi in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the private sector, aimed at increasing the country’s cattle herd.

He applauded President Masisi for the donation, saying it was in line with Vision 2036’s aspiration of leaving no one behind towards achieving an inclusive and sustainable growth.

Mr Molomo also encouraged Ms Keorapetse to uphold this aspiration by sharing her donation with other farmers in her cluster and to grow her farming business further.

The bull donation initiative is meant to improve productivity by using pedigree bulls, improve cattle genetics and develop value chains.

Just like the ram and buck initiative, the donation is expected to be made to some individual farmers in all the 57 constituencies.

The selection criteria, as devised by the Ministry of Agriculture, focuses on farmers who have shown capacity to use digital technology in the production system and evidence of supporting clusters with many beneficiaries and good management of cattleposts or farms.

Individuals interested in donating bulls are encouraged to do so through the Ministry of Agriculture.

Mahalapye West MP, Mr David Tshere thanked President Masisi for having decided to kickstart the bull donation initiative in his constituency. BOPA