25 Jun 2024

Government has prioritised agriculture as one of the key sectors for growth, employment and wealth creation.

Officiating at Nata/Gweta Block Beef Producers Association annual two day field day over the weekend, Assistant Minister for State President Ms Boitumelo Gofhamodimo said agriculture played a pivotal role as a source of food and nutrition security with the livestock sub-sector in particular contributing about 80 per cent of agricultural exports - mainly in beef, hides while at the same time offering  abundant opportunities for value chains and business in general.

However, she said the sector had been severely affected by the effects of climate change which were becoming increasingly evident with more frequent and severe weather occurrences experienced. 

“We are at a critical juncture where immediate and sustainable action is required to secure a habitable planet for future generations,” she said.

Ms Gofhamodimo said farmers in particular must take a lead in adopting sustainable practices and innovations to protect the environment while enhancing livelihoods in the face of climate change. 

She said in Botswana cattle and small stock were produced in the rangeland and largely depended on natural resources for survival.

Such, she said meant that production systems were dominated by communal productions, with 80 per cent and over 90 per cent of both goat and sheep produced communally. 

The assistant minister said the communal system was characterised by in adequate investment in livestock management, which meant that production was not practiced in a sustainable manner.

This she said called for mindset change, such that farmers remain resilient and prosperous despite climate change effects.

She thus urged farmers to adopt sustainable practices in beef production by implementing regenerative agricultural practices which will lead to reduced carbon footprints and move to rotational grazing and integrated pest management because these practices will help farmers adapt to and mitigate the effects of climate change by maintaining soil health reducing erosion.

The association chairperson Mr Gosata Mosweu said in realisation of challenges faced by beef producers they decided not to sit back and wait for government, instead collectively they engaged on different platforms to sensitised sustainable practices.

He further said continuously they were exploring other ways of improving their livestock saying this year they visited Pandamatenga farms to secure future fodder deals. 

We bought bales worth P31 000 as a start and it will be shared amongst the association members, he said. ENDS