04 Mar 2026

Government, in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has proposed US$86.84 million (over P1.15 billion) project targeting 50 000 households to commercialise smallstock and poultry enterprises.

Presenting the 2026/27 budget proposals for the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture in Parliament on Monday, acting minister, Dr Edwin Dikoloti said the Botswana Livestock Commercialisation Project (BoLCOP) was expected to reduce reliance on subsistence farming and expand access to local and regional markets. 

“By strengthening smallstock and poultry enterprises, the project will contribute to job creation, household food security and increased cash earnings, while supporting Botswana’s broader goal of raising agriculture’s contribution to GDP from two per cent to six percent in the short term and 10 per cent in the long term,” Dr Dikoloti said. 

The minister stated that in its quest to increase the national herd from 1.7 million to five million by 2030, government had introduced several key initiatives, which included the A Di Tsale programme, intended to boost reproductive efficiency and calving rates and the upgrading of the Ramatlabama National Artificial Insemination Laboratory into a Centre of Excellence and export hub for superior germplasm. 

However, Dr Dikoloti noted a recent setback in performance saying ‘in 2025/2026, performance declined to 3 622 cows from 6 522 cows in 2024/2025, against a target of 7 500, largely due to financial resource constraints’.  

The minister further announced a partnership with the Green Climate Fund and Conservation International to implement a Rangeland Restoration Project, an initiative he said aimed to restore 46 000 hectares across the Kgalagadi, Ngamiland and Bobirwa landscapes, encompassing 104 villages. 

He added that the initiative also aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve livelihoods and create 6 000 green jobs through enhanced livestock management practices. Additionally, he said the ministry was jointly implementing the Growing Greener Project with GIZ and Conservation International under the International Climate Initiative (IKI). 

“With a funding allocation of approximately EUR 5 million, the project focuses on the restoration and sustainable management of agro-pastoral systems in open arid landscapes,” Dr Dikoloti explained. 

The minister highlighted that the Tsabong and Gaborone Multi-Species Abattoirs would expand national processing capacity and stimulate rural economies. 

Conversely, he said the dairy sub-sector continued to struggle, with local production meeting only 13 per cent of national demand. 

“To mitigate this, government has imported 150 dairy goats from Australia,” he said. 

He further told Parliament that the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP) and the Milk Valley initiative under the Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) were also being leveraged to stimulate private investment, with the latter holding the potential to contribute 12 per cent to local production. 

He further indicated that poultry remained a pillar of food security, producing over 52 000 tonnes of broiler meat and 14 million dozen eggs annually, sustaining nearly 7 000 jobs. Regarding animal health, Dr Dikoloti expressed concern that while Botswana had a strong record of controlling Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), anthrax and rabies, there was a rising prevalence of Bovine brucellosis and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in cattle, Gumboro and Newcastle disease in poultry as well as Heartwater and pasteurellosis in smallstock. 

However, he said to manage such risks, government had invested in over 10 000 kilometres of cordon fences.  “Through vaccination, quarantine and strict movement controls, Botswana has preserved disease-free zones covering 60 per cent of our national territory, sustaining access to premium export markets. These measures underpin the national target of expanding the herd to five million cattle while advancing agriculture’s contribution to GDP under NDP12,” the minister said. ENDS