11 Jun 2024

Farmers in Senyawe, Tati East have been encouraged to welcome heifers they received from government through the restocking exercise and practice good husbandry for them to thrive.

Speaking at launch of the restocking exercise in Senyawe on Monday, Assistant Minister of Agriculture Mr Molebatsi Molebatsi said heifers were good at enduring harsh conditions particularly at this point when the country was experiencing drought.

The assistant minister said this while responding to Mr Solomom Khupe, who was among farmers receiving cattle as part of the restocking implementation performed by President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi in Zone 6 of the North East District yesterday.

The restocking comes after the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in September 2022, where cattle were depopulated and movement protocols for cloven hoof animals was effected.

Mr Khupe was earlier worried about being compensated by heifers while they lost cattle which were ready to have calves during depopulation. He described this as a setback.

The assistant minister thus said usually at this time when the country was experiencing severe drought, farmers were encouraged to cull older beasts for they were easily affected by drought compared to those still growing.

He therefore urged them to take the heifers and care for them for they were guaranteed of good outcomes. Mr Molebatsi further encouraged those who would be receiving less that 30 cattle to group themselves and be assisted with a shared bull. He said it was not possible to give each individual farmer a bull. Nevertheless he said those getting 30 and above would each get a bull.

However, Mr Molebatsi said they would be assisted with Artificial Insemination (AI) arrangements adding they have been plans by the government to increase AI centers across the country and the closest to them was at Impala in Francistown.

Furthermore, he urged farmers to take advantage of Thuo Letlotlo to increase the number they have been given. Mr Molebatsi appreciated farmers for their cooperation with veterinary officers from the time Foot and Mouth was discovered in their area until all animals were depopulated.

In addition, he advised them to form herding groups particularly as people living along the border line so that collectively they worked together to monitor movement of their animals to prevent them from going across the border line where they became exposed to FMD.

Meanwhile another farmer Mr Blackie Mokoti requested the ministry of Agriculture to speed up processes of maintenance of the border line because the fence was completely down with little to prevent movement of animals. On the day Mr Khupe received 12 heifers while Mr Mokoti got 10. Ends