05 Feb 2023

The importation of livestock from South Africa through Ramatlabana Border Post is costly for Kgalagadi South farmers due to the long distance travelled between the two areas.

Answering a question during Ntlo ya Dikgosi session, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi said the designated entry points were selected looking at the volume of animals entering as well as infrastructure available for cost effectiveness of service provision.

“Since South Africa is a country without defined status of Foot and Mouth Disease, import of cloven-hoofed animals is prohibited, thus it being difficult to currently have any consideration to use the mobile services as there are no import trends that we can use to have an informed decision,” said Mr Molebatsi.

The assistant minister was responding to a question from Kgosi David Toto â…¡ of Kgalagadi South region, who wanted to know if the Minister of Agriculture was aware that importation of livestock from South Africa through Ramatlabana Border Post was costly for Kgalagadi South farmers due to the long distance travelled between the two areas.

Kgosi Toto II also wanted to know if the minister would consider introducing veterinary officers’ mobile office to assist farmers. Ends