Agrinews December 2012 - Ministry of Agriculture

Dairy IndustrySoursArticle: Joseph RamodisaPhotos: Pius NkundaIn the 21st century, Dairyfarming in Botswana appears tobe at risky as it has never been.While many farmers love the lifethey have and would not wantto do anything else, challengesof high input cost and changingweather patterns make dairyfarming a quest that is not for thefaint hearted.For the past 24 months, the milkindustry in Botswana has been afaced with high input cost andlack of quality feeds, but for thosewith passion, this scenario can nolonger be allowed to continue.Dairy feeds for the past twoyears have increased by 40%,the situation that forced most ofthe farmers to suspend their dairyoperations.Upon realizing that all is beingdriven to the wall, dairy farmersaround Lobatse invited theVice President, Dr PonatshegoKedikilwe to their dairy farms forhim to get first hand information.This is in away to seek governmentintervention so that this dairyindustry can rise again.The Vice President, whodescribed the dairy industry asone of the hanging fruit alsoattributed the poor performance ofthis industry to the high input cost,infrastructure and shortage of land.Kedikilwe assured farmersthat the government is aware oftheir situation and has thereforeput new initiative in place tosave the industry, including thedevelopment of a Dairy StrategicPlan.“We need the viability in thisindustry.”However, the whole issue hasbeen marked by a series of eventsthat has changed the outlook andprospects for the milk industryin this country. High input costand lack of quality feeds are thecontributing factors to the lowmilk production in this country,according to farmers visited.Mr. Johannes Schutte, a dairyfarmer at Pitsane said, while thecountry is relying much on theimport of milk and its productsit is getting to a stage where theindustry can no longer rise.He said most of dairy farmersare now going into the beefindustry because of the challengesthey are facing in dairy industry.Schutte was also associating lackof water to the poor performanceof this industry.Consequently, Botswana importmore than 80% of the nationaldemand for fresh milk and mostprocessed dairy products.Schutte is positive that this figurecan be lowered if they (dairyfarmers) can be assisted. “I haveequipment, what I want is theblack and white cows,” he said.For the milk to flow, thechallenges of bad infrastructure,lack of quality feeds and gooddairy breeds must first be overpowered.11December 2012