GHANZI SHOW - Ministry of Agriculture

Article: Segomotso Basuti
Photos: Aggripah Willie
When I retired, I told myself
that I’m going to look after
my cattle for no one can do
a better job than I can.”
These are the words of a passionate
farmer. His eyes light up when he talks
about his cattle and the love he has for
them. Mr Tiyapo Sekgopa, told his wife
upon retiring from the public service in
1994 that he decided to go into cattle
rearing full time. He knew it was not
going to be easy, but also knew that
with passion everything was attainable.
In 1994, Sekgopa tried his luck at
Artificial Insemination (AI). He beams
when he counts the advantages of using
AI. Though the government allows one
farmer to bring only five cattle to the
AI Centre during insemination season,
he applauds the service as it gives an
opportunity for all farmers to have their
kraals boasting with good breeds.
Sekgopa says that AI increases the
chances of conception, adding that one
has power over the kind of breed they
desire to dominate their kraal, as the
farmer is given the choice of using the
best bulls to come up with the finest
offsprings. To top it off, he says with the
conception rate increasing, one can be
confident that their cows will increase
each breeding season.
Currently, Sekgopa has 104 herds
of cattle, 30 being products of AI. He
has not yet decided on which breed to
specialize in but the one that seems to be
winning his heart is the Limousine. He
says the reason behind this is because it
does not take a long time to calf.
A Diamond Driller by profession,
Sekgopa says he goes back
to work once in
a while on
contract agreement just to increase the
family income, saying that this is the
only time he engages a herd boy to look
after his cattle.
Sekgopa believes that the strategy he
has set for himself works pretty well.
“As I wanted to run my cattle post as a
business, I had to go an extra mile and
learn what I needed in order to achieve
this.”
Teaming up with his son, they collected
material and studied the diseases that
were prone to their area, at Mogotho wa
Dinotshi cattle post, Kweneng.
“Diseases are not really a problem here,
as we take all precautionary measures to
prevent them, the only thing worrisome
is the wild dogs which are very difficult
to ward off.”
Sekgopa says that he has ensured that
cattle maintain themselves. He works
by an inventory where all the activities
taking place in the farm are captured.
“I have bought a laptop which I use to
register everything, from administering
medicine, updating those that have given
birth, those that have died and even those
I have culled as a result of not
doing well.”
H e
f u r t h e r
states that
the inventory
also keeps record
of those he takes
to A.I camps and
the successful
and unsuccessful
inseminations that
occurred during
breeding period.
Sekgopa believes one cannot progress
if one does not do a documentation of
the everyday activities of his/her farm.
He believes this is the reason he has
continued to do well over the years.
Any livestock farmer in Botswana with
a valid Brand Certificate and Omang
can benefit from the A.I services. The
Principal Scientific Officer, Animal
Breeding, Aubrey Ranko stated that
each farmer is allowed to bring five (5)
cows per brand to be inseminated in a
breeding season.
Breeding season starts in September
and ends in March in government A.I
camps costing the farmer P50.00 for
the 5 cows to be inseminated with
locally collected semen. Ranko said
though there are problems that they may
encounter during breeding season such
as deaths due to diseases and predators,
Batswana have generally embraced the
artificial insemination service.
“The farmers’ response is very positive
because none of Government A.I camps
is underutilized and more farmers with
ranches are now venturing into the On-
Farm A.I programme.”
Ranko explained that the most
preferred breed by farmers is the
Brahman, and this could be
attributed to the Tswana type of
breed that is dominant amongst
local farmers. He said because of
this small framed Tswana breed,
little or no complications such as
dystocia are experienced during birth.
July 2012