01 Apr 2024

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi will on Friday open the much anticipated fourth installment of Lobu Smallstock Farm auction sale where over 400 high pedigree livestock will be up for sale.

In an interview, Lobu Smallstock Farm manager Mr Geoffrey Balogi expressed confidence on the quality of stock selected to be sold at the farm as relevant fertility tests were conducted. He said all the breeding animals lined up for auction had passed the fertility test level all scoring above 50 per cent where tests on mobility of the sperm were carried out to ascertain breeding capability.

The farm manager said 415 quality livestock ready for sale consisted of 253 sheep, 134 goats and seven cattle including 17 animals which were auctioned in 2022 but were not collected.

He encouraged the farming community to actively participate in the auction sale, stating that  registration would commence at 7am and the sale was scheduled to start at 8am ending at 5pm.

Mr Balogi said this year’s auction sale would be bigger and better as the number of livestock had increased as compared to the last auction sale held in 2022.

He said livestock would be ready for viewing on Thursday prior to the auction sale, adding that a registration fee of P500 must be paid in cash.

Mr Balogi said, minimum reserve price for culls was P500, while for commercial stock the reserve price stood at P1 500 while the Saanen breeding buck would be going for P800 reserve price.

Meanwhile, he said for bucks and rams breeding studs reserve price was P2 000 while the highest reserve price on small stock was placed on high pedigree Dorper breeding studs at P2 500.

Mr Balogi encouraged farmers to adhere to auction sale rules and regulations. He said those who placed bids must pay and collect their stock within 48 hours, adding that failure to do so could result in  registration fee would be forfeiture.

He cautioned that if any successfully bidden stock was not paid for, the bidder would be blacklisted from future auctions.

On other issues Mr Balogi said plans were underway to improve digitization in the farm through upgrading of network infrastructure across the farm to improve connectivity including at the kraals. He added that the project was at an advanced stage. He said such development would come in handy during the next auction sale which would be  conducted online to give every Motswana the opportunity to buy at their convenience.

When grading sheep for auction recently, African Dorper Association inspector Mr Victor Kruger expressed his satisfaction at the quality of stock produced at Lobu and encouraged farmers to learn good farming practice at Lobu and buy stock to improve quality of their flock.

In an interview, a farmer at Middlepits Mr Johan Casper said he was looking forward to the Lobu auction with the hope to get his farm something on the day.

He said the sale provided farmers an opportunity to buy quality stock to improve their stock.

He emphasised that construction of the Tsabong Multispecies Abattoir, which would provide organised market for their produce was almost complete and therefore it was critical for farmers to efficiently make use of the auction sale to be able to meet the supply demand of the abattoir.

Lobu Smallstock Farm is a government owned farm operated  the Department of Animal production in the Ministry of Agriculture. It is targeted at improving small stock production and offers extension services to the farmers. Ends