15 Nov 2022

Botswana will host a regional conference on livestock diseases on February 2023 with a view to strengthen animal disease management in the region.

As part of his State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) in Gaborone yesterday, President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi said the conference would deliberate on livestock diseases and vaccine production to come up with a coordinated sub-regional response strategy.

He said Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) was expanding its plant capacity to enable product diversification through research and development, which would also deepen continental production on animal health products.

“The proposed development will more than double BVI capacity to blend vaccines from the current 20 million doses to over 50 million,” he said.

Additionally, Dr Masisi said the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) continued to threaten the farmers’ livelihoods.

He said the disease was not only a challenge to livestock industry, but also caused immense emotional pain to farmers.

“It also negatively impacts the economy of the country,” he said.

Another challenge to the livestock industry was the outbreak of the cattle lung disease in the northern part of Namibia, which borders the Ngamiland.

As part of strengthening response and control measures, President Masisi said veterinary authorities of the two countries would continue to conduct maintainance of the fence, disease surveillance and joint patrols along the common border. BOPA