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GHANZI SHOW - Ministry of Agriculture

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Article: Segomotso Basuti<br />

Photos: Aggripah Willie<br />

When I retired, I told myself<br />

that I’m going to look after<br />

my cattle for no one can do<br />

a better job than I can.”<br />

These are the words <strong>of</strong> a passionate<br />

farmer. His eyes light up when he talks<br />

about his cattle and the love he has for<br />

them. Mr Tiyapo Sekgopa, told his wife<br />

upon retiring from the public service in<br />

1994 that he decided to go into cattle<br />

rearing full time. He knew it was not<br />

going to be easy, but also knew that<br />

with passion everything was attainable.<br />

In 1994, Sekgopa tried his luck at<br />

Artificial Insemination (AI). He beams<br />

when he counts the advantages <strong>of</strong> using<br />

AI. Though the government allows one<br />

farmer to bring only five cattle to the<br />

AI Centre during insemination season,<br />

he applauds the service as it gives an<br />

opportunity for all farmers to have their<br />

kraals boasting with good breeds.<br />

Sekgopa says that AI increases the<br />

chances <strong>of</strong> conception, adding that one<br />

has power over the kind <strong>of</strong> breed they<br />

desire to dominate their kraal, as the<br />

farmer is given the choice <strong>of</strong> using the<br />

best bulls to come up with the finest<br />

<strong>of</strong>fsprings. To top it <strong>of</strong>f, he says with the<br />

conception rate increasing, one can be<br />

confident that their cows will increase<br />

each breeding season.<br />

Currently, Sekgopa has 104 herds<br />

<strong>of</strong> cattle, 30 being products <strong>of</strong> AI. He<br />

has not yet decided on which breed to<br />

specialize in but the one that seems to be<br />

winning his heart is the Limousine. He<br />

says the reason behind this is because it<br />

does not take a long time to calf.<br />

A Diamond Driller by pr<strong>of</strong>ession,<br />

Sekgopa says he goes back<br />

to work once in<br />

a while on<br />

contract agreement just to increase the<br />

family income, saying that this is the<br />

only time he engages a herd boy to look<br />

after his cattle.<br />

Sekgopa believes that the strategy he<br />

has set for himself works pretty well.<br />

“As I wanted to run my cattle post as a<br />

business, I had to go an extra mile and<br />

learn what I needed in order to achieve<br />

this.”<br />

Teaming up with his son, they collected<br />

material and studied the diseases that<br />

were prone to their area, at Mogotho wa<br />

Dinotshi cattle post, Kweneng.<br />

“Diseases are not really a problem here,<br />

as we take all precautionary measures to<br />

prevent them, the only thing worrisome<br />

is the wild dogs which are very difficult<br />

to ward <strong>of</strong>f.”<br />

Sekgopa says that he has ensured that<br />

cattle maintain themselves. He works<br />

by an inventory where all the activities<br />

taking place in the farm are captured.<br />

“I have bought a laptop which I use to<br />

register everything, from administering<br />

medicine, updating those that have given<br />

birth, those that have died and even those<br />

I have culled as a result <strong>of</strong> not<br />

doing well.”<br />

H e<br />

f u r t h e r<br />

states that<br />

the inventory<br />

also keeps record<br />

<strong>of</strong> those he takes<br />

to A.I camps and<br />

the successful<br />

and unsuccessful<br />

inseminations that<br />

occurred during<br />

breeding period.<br />

Sekgopa believes one cannot progress<br />

if one does not do a documentation <strong>of</strong><br />

the everyday activities <strong>of</strong> his/her farm.<br />

He believes this is the reason he has<br />

continued to do well over the years.<br />

Any livestock farmer in Botswana with<br />

a valid Brand Certificate and Omang<br />

can benefit from the A.I services. The<br />

Principal Scientific Officer, Animal<br />

Breeding, Aubrey Ranko stated that<br />

each farmer is allowed to bring five (5)<br />

cows per brand to be inseminated in a<br />

breeding season.<br />

Breeding season starts in September<br />

and ends in March in government A.I<br />

camps costing the farmer P50.00 for<br />

the 5 cows to be inseminated with<br />

locally collected semen. Ranko said<br />

though there are problems that they may<br />

encounter during breeding season such<br />

as deaths due to diseases and predators,<br />

Batswana have generally embraced the<br />

artificial insemination service.<br />

“The farmers’ response is very positive<br />

because none <strong>of</strong> Government A.I camps<br />

is underutilized and more farmers with<br />

ranches are now venturing into the On-<br />

Farm A.I programme.”<br />

Ranko explained that the most<br />

preferred breed by farmers is the<br />

Brahman, and this could be<br />

attributed to the Tswana type <strong>of</strong><br />

breed that is dominant amongst<br />

local farmers. He said because <strong>of</strong><br />

this small framed Tswana breed,<br />

little or no complications such as<br />

dystocia are experienced during birth.<br />

July 2012

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