14 Aug 2024

Government has introduced a 30 per cent subsidy on feeds to support farmers under the Keeping Game in Masimo initiative.

This was said by Minister of Environment and Tourism, Honourable Dumezweni Mthimkhulu in response to a question in Parliament on Tuesday.

Minister Mthimkhulu said the 30 per cent feed subsidy demonstrated government’s support for farmers under the Keeping of Game in Masimo initiative, which was targeted at reducing the impact of drought.

He said the Thuo Letlotlo initiative also provided a package for farmers eligible to keep game in masimo with the support to maximise the benefits.

He added that since inception of the initiative in 2022, a total of 379 applications were approved and given permits by the ministry, out of which 320 had benefitted from the yearly donations of wild animals particularly impala, eland, and zebra as part of the programme.

Again, Minister Mthimkhulu said government supported stocking for successful applicants, adding 1 545 of the different species had been given to farmers throughout the country as a startup.

“The programme is in its infancy stage focused primarily on assisting small holder farmers with a stocking programme which also reflected teething challenges such as lack of adequate resource base for stock supply. There are, however, minimal economic returns accrued by farmers so far,” he said.

He said since Keeping of Game in Masimo was a long term programme, it was anticipated that farmers would start to realise economic returns in due course from their investment when their stocks had multiplied to allow sustainable off-take.

Currently, Mr Mthimkhulu said the ministry embarked on yearly capture and distribution exercise which had been carried out since April, adding the ministry was committed to continue to providing necessary support for the farmers.

Selebi Phikwe East MP, Mr Kgoberego Nkawana had asked the minister to state the number of farmers who had successfully managed to introduce game animals in their small holding farms.

Mr Nkawana also wanted the minister Mthimkhulu to quantify the level of economic benefit to farmers and if government intended to assist potential small holdings game farmers in development of their farms as well as in capture and stocking of game. ENDS