16 Oct 2024

The Minister of Trade and Industry Mr Mmusi Kgafela has emphasised the critical role of the dairy industry in enhancing food security, job creation and economic growth.

Minister Kgafela made the remarks during the launch of Milk Afric in Lobatse on Tuesday.

The P70 million state of art milk production plant is financed by Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) and currently has 270 dairy cows.

He therefore noted that through Milk Afric, government aimed to increase milk production to meet local demand with integration of milk products.

The minister highlighted that only 15 per cent of the country’s milk demand was satisfied by local production, while 85 per cent was imports.

Moreover, Minister Kgafela said Milk Afric was expected  to create 215 jobs, adding that the project would also boost and unlock new opportunities to drive growth and improve the lives of residents.

He further expressed government’s commitment to supporting the industry and urged local entrepreneurs to innovate and explore new markets.

Mr Kgafela urged the management of the company not to invest on the infrastructure alone but should extend the same by training Batswana and developing them.

The Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi said Milk Afric would contribute to national development.

He said once in full operation, the project should be able to meet    local demand and even target regional market

Giving the project overview,  Milk Afric Caretaker, Chief Executive Officer, Mr Botshelo Mokotedi explained that since the project aimed have 2000  dairy cows in future, it would produce around 18 988 000 litres of milk annually, to address the 29.21 per cent annual demand.

Mr Mokotedi also Head of Investment, Evaluation and Portfolio Risk at BDC said Milk Afric was committed to bridging gaps in the dairy industry.

He also confirmed that the operators had been trained to use advanced technological methods of milking. 

Stating the challenges, Mr Mokotedi noted that the outbreak of foot and mouth disease hindered them from obtaining cattle from neighbouring countries, thereby causing delays in full production. 

He pointed out that lack of adequate water supply in the area was also a challenge. BOPA