07 Dec 2022

 The Ministry of Agriculture continues to look for opportunities to work with the private sector for effective implementation of its programmes and activities such as vaccinations, meat inspections, health inspections and certification.

The Assistant Minister, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi told Parliament that the ministry was considering hiving off the sale of BAITS ear tags to improve service delivery while at the same time maintaining necessary controls to prevent fraud.

Mr Molebatsi was answering a question from Nata MP Mr Polson Majaga who wanted to know when the privatisation of some agricultural services would commence and whether he was aware that cordon fences at Sepako and Maitengwe no longer exist. To address the status of Sepako and Maitengwe cordon fence, the Assistant minister said it was being prioritized for ongoing maintenance.

He also said efforts were being made to improve border security to curb animal theft which was on the rise in those areas.

While we are aware of the challenges in the control of animal disease in Sepako and Maitengwe, Mr Molebatsi said the ministry would continue to look into ways of dealing with the problem by increasing the participation of local communities in disease control. In particular, my ministry embraces the concept of herding for health, (h4h) which can help prevent diseases, improve livelihoods and promote sustainable use of rangelands, he said. ends