Government reveals new developments to ranchers
The Minister of Agriculture, Hon Fidelis Molao and counterpart, Minister of Entrepreneurship Hon Karabo Gare revealed some new and upcoming developments that are geared towards improving the
beef industry and accelerating it to commercial levels. They promised the farmers that government would continue to review legislations to provide a conducive environment for the beef sector to thrive. The duo were speakers at this year’s Sandveld Ranchers Association Field Day held in the Sandveld area over the long weekend.
Honourable Molao said his Ministry is currently facilitating the improvement of roads in the Sandveld area, linking B111 (Molepolole/Serowe major road) with Sandveld at an estimated cost of P120million as per the Transitional National Development Plan.
The road connects Sandveld ranches to the beef market such as BMC, Butcheries and other local businesses. “Improved roads will enhance the beef sector value chain from fodder producers, farmers, transporters, processors and manufacturers, thus improving all stakeholder’s livelihoods and further contribute towards the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product),” the Minister noted.
The government has so far revised the Artificial Insemination (AI) programme in order to improve reproduction efficiency thereby increasing the national herd and its genetic merit. P7.5 million was invested in foreign semen of different breeds to complement local semen production which currently stands at 248 513 (straws). To this end 12 200 semen straws have been procured which include 9 400 Brahman, 300 Beefmaster, 200 Black Angus, 100 Santa Getrudis, 1 200 Charolais and 1 000 Limousine.
In a bid to create a conducive business environment in the beef sub sector through regulation and enforcing standards and regulations, as well as protecting the interests of all stakeholders with Research and Development, Marketing and Traceability System Management, the ministry is in the process of establishing the Meat Industry Regulatory Authority (MIRA). The MIRA will also remove monopoly and open up the beef market.
Furthermore, the Beef Productivity Training programme which is a collaboration between Botswana and New Zealand, provides technical capacity building to Botswana frontline extension workers, farmers and herders to improve beef productivity. Molao said since its inception in 2015, a total of 1069 participants including 772 farmers, 86 Extension officers and 211 Herders, have been trained. The programme is expected to improve livelihoods of communal beef cattle farmers, improved climate resilience of beef cattle farming as well as reduce range degradation, regenerate rangelands and promote gender equity and inclusiveness.
Despite budgetary constraints, Molao stated that his ministry is obliged to prioritize maintenance and rehabilitation of fences that are important for maintaining the zonation system such as buffalo fences surrounding livestock areas of Ngamiland from Okavango delta which has the buffalo carrying FMD; border cordon fences separating the country’s free zones from the non-free countries; inter-zonal fences separating free zones from non-free zones such as Kuke, Makalamabedi-Phefodiafoka fence, Ngwasha fence, and Sekukwe-Bisoli vakaranga (6a/6b) and Serule-Zanzibar (zone 7) fence.
The Minister of Entrepreneurship whose mandate is to provide leadership and overall policy direction, strategy and standards on business development revealed that Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) had developed a four year strategy and strategic performance plan, MERITING 2022/25, to achieve both profitability and sustainability before year 2025 through addressing internal inefficiencies, reducing cost burden, sector/value-chain collaborations, reduced dependence on Government funds, and enhanced customer relations to re-attract its market share. The strategy has been under implementation from January 2022.
He further stated; “Through this strategy there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We hope that once the export of live cattle comes to an end next year – 2024 there will be enough livestock for slaughter and BMC will bounce back to profitability. The BMC has further started production of Ecco beef instead of selling chunks of beef.
Local Enterprise Authority(LEA) has started the construction of the Leather Park in Lobatse for leather processing. The project will facilitate the processing of hides and skins into finished leather and stimulate the development of leather products manufacturing in Botswana, according to Minister Gare.
“Local and international investors are being targeted to set up tanning and leather manufacturing in the Leather Park. Employment creation, domestic growth and import substitution are amongst the expected outputs of the project. The project is expected to be completed by early 2025. All these are going to improve the value chain and will be followed by other sectors in agriculture,” he said.
Gare urged farmers to benchmark from each other and to take advantage of BAMB which provides feeds of various nutrients at a susidised prices to save animals from the drought.
“We as a Ministry have a vision of building and growing resilient enterprises and innovative entrepreneurs in the beef industry. It is henceforth, important that we as key drivers of the agricultural sector, frequently engage to develop strategies on how, as a collective, can ensure expected national goals are achieved within the set timelines,” he noted.