19 May 2025

In an effort to involve youth in Agriculture as a means to boost production and promote economic diversification, the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture enlisted Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN) students to lead presentation at this year’s Fodder Day. 

Speaking during the event in Nkowe lands near Malolwane in Kgatleng east recently, a student and member of BUAN Animal Science Club, Mr Thapelo Tshabo said modern farming should promote a business orientated approach where farmers rear livestock or grow crop primarily for selling.

He said the era of keeping livestock for prestige was over, stressing that today’s farmers must focus on sustaining their heads for profit.

For instance, Mr Tshabo suggested that farmers establish a colostrum bank to ensure that, in the event a nursing animal died, there would be a reserve available to support the survival of the offspring.

“By so doing we will reduce mortality rates and still bag in some profit by sustaining the offspring with the banked colostrum.”

The BUAN student further taught farmers that calves should be introduced to fodder within the first week of the birth to help train their digestive systems early.

He explained that this approach helped the animal develop larger body, preparing it to be more productive when it matured.

Mr Katlego Mariri, another BUAN student, informed farmers that lablab was a fodder crop high in protein which supported muscle development and tissue repair.

He said that another important nutrient was calcium, which played a key role in bone development.

“When the lablab is low in calcium especially when feeding lactating animals, they suffer from milk fever. Lablab also has phosphorus which prevent diseases such as botulism.”

However, Mr Mariri said providing animals with feed that contained sufficient phosphorous could help prevent nutritional diseases.

Mr Mariri also taught farmers that lablab was harvested at early flowering stage, less than a fortnight old.

He explained that lablab was fed alongside cereal grains in a balanced ration as the grains provided sufficient energy. 

“It is suitable for lactating animals finishing stock especially at the feedlot. 

Lablab provides consistency and it is a high quality feed during drought seasons and can be stored for months.” Mr said Mariri. ENDS