28 May 2023

The Vice President Mr Slumber Tsogwane has implored residents of Xere in Boteti district to learn new farming skills and expand their livestock.

Mr Tsogwane said during a kgotla meeting in Xere on Thursday encouraged residents to rear sheep and acquire rare breeds.

He stated that pans were a good environment for small stock production especially sheep, indicating that it was a good opportunity for them since their village was located adjacent to the pans.

The Vice President said farmers should learn to practice new farming skills such as embryo transplant and buying semen of unique breeds.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi he said had released a Presidential directive that called for allocation of small stock ranches.

He stated that Dr Masisi continued to promote livestock breed and had taken a step further to secure unique cattle breeds from the United States of America.

Mr Tsogwane said the declining rates of cattle population in Botswana had motivated the President to take action and address the issue. He noted that the secured cattle breeds would contribute significantly in upgrading and expanding the number of cattle in Botswana.

He highlighted that Batswana would be given an opportunity to buy the semen secured as a move to support farmers to upgrade and expand their stock.

Mr Tsogwane further urged farmers to devise strategies that could be employed to address the issue of predators killing livestock.

“Even if you can be paid compensation for livestock killed by predators, you won’t be able to replace that stock, therefore we need to come up with a strategy that would work,” he said.

Government, he said took a decision to lift the hunting ban, as a move to help some Batswana who continued to lose their property due to damages caused by wildlife.

He stated that lifting the hunting ban attracted backlash from some people who were against it, citing that people who opposed it were those who did not have a challenge with elephants in their countries.

Commenting, one of the residents, Mr Timothy Tatolo raised a concern that elephants were terrorising the community and frustrated their efforts to sustain their lives through farming.

Mr Tatolo proposed that government should export elephant meat as a profit-making strategy. Another resident, Mr Moithapelo Moipolai complained that he was denied the opportunity to work for Ipelegeng programme.

In response, the community development officer, Mr Bojosi Luke said double dipping was not allowed, as he was already engaged in the destitution programme. ENDS