04 Sep 2022

Botswana and Zimbabwe need to leverage on each other's strengths in areas where they enjoy comparative and competitive advantage.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said when officially opening the 112th Zimbabwe National Agricultural Show in Harare, Zimbabwe on Friday.

He said one such area was the production of livestock vaccines by Botswana.

The country was already supplying Zimbabwe, Southern Africa and beyond, said the President. President Masisi said the two countries could leverage on Botswana’s experience to produce high quality Foot and Mouth Disease, goat plaque and cattle lung disease vaccines.

The two states could also take advantage of Zimbabwe's prowess in the production of thermostable Newcastle vaccine and other quality veterinary medicinal products, said Dr Masisi.

He noted that Zimbabwe also produced high quality veterinary surgeons and specialists.The President applauded his counterpart Dr Emmerson Mnangagwa’s involvement in the fight against rustling along the two countries’ common borders which threatened social harmony between communities on either side.

Dr Masisi said the issue presented not only a huge risk for transmission of animal diseases but was also a serious threat to food and social security.

He expressed delight that the two nations were collaborating to combat rustling as well as to facilitate repatriation of recovered livestock. President Masisi said the two countries also collaborated in addressing emerging threats such as goat plaque.

If not controlled, the disease had the potential to cripple industries and hamper national development, he warned. The show’s president, Mr Ngoni Kudenga said this year it celebrated agricultural successes achieved in the last season and signalled the start of the next. 

He said the theme,  Unequalled Business Opportunities, Accessibility, Accountability Abundance, highlighted the society’s commitment to work with the Zimbabwe government to improve agriculture production and productivity. Mr Kudenga said the show offered unique business and networking opportunities through exhibitions and conference. 

Meanwhile, President Masisi has been given a Brahman bull and two chairs as a token of appreciation.

Dr Masisi is the third Botswana president to officiate at the show after the late Sir Ketumile Masire and Dr Festus Mogae in 1991 and 2006 respectively. BOPA