Agrinews December 2012 - Ministry of Agriculture

SmallArticle:: Keamogetse BoitshepoPhotos: Kesegofetse TaweleStockThe concept of hobby and retirementfarming is slowly fading away. Anumber of youths choose to leavetheir lucrative white collar jobs topursuit farming.Nkoketsang Mothobi also left his jobat Debswana to continue a livestockenterprise that he started in 1997.Much as he found farming to be morelucrative, Mothobi also reveals that heprefers investing his youthful energy onsomething that he owns, as opposed toworking for somebody else.After 15 years, Mothobi does notregret his choice as he brags of histwo farms, one in Sedudu Ranch andanother Gaedomo Ranch.“I keep small stock and cattle onseparate ranches. Sedudu ranch hasapproximately 550 animals. That is 400goats and 150 sheep while cattle are inGaedomo ranch.”With only a form 5 certificate andexperience in mining, Mothobi taughthimself improved ways of rearinglivestock. He practices free rangegrazing system and only provides feedswhen the pastures are dry.“Letlhakane area has good grazingpastures, however when it is dry Isupplement with energy blocks, proteinblocks and diacalcium phosphate.”This Bobonong born and bred sayshe implements strategies that reduceproduction costs. As such makes it apoint that he only buys what he cannotproduce himself. He plants grass andplants to make animal feed such as lablab or silage to feed his animals.Mothobi acknowledged thatlivestock production has small yethigh production costs that are howevercovered in the sale price.“The more I vaccinate and feed well,the more profit I make. My productsare good and worth the price becauseof their quality. My selling priceincorporates all the expenses I incurredduring growth of an animal.”He reveals that the kinds of breedsthat he keeps are easy to managein Botswana climatic conditions.He therefore vaccinates for worms,pasturrella and provides vitamin A.Mothobi’s breeds of choice are Boergoats, Saneen goats and Dopper sheep.According to him, Dopper has moremeat content and less fur unlike othersheep breeds. It also adapts well to thehot weather conditions.His reasons to keep boer goatsare similar to that of Dopper sheep.Mothobi, however said he uses Saneengoats for their milk quantity. He sayswhen goats have more young ones hemilks Saneens for them.“Most breeds are also good and dowell in Botswana. The secret is in theproper maintenance of small stock. Forinstance Kgalagadi, Red thrives also inour semi dessert conditions.”Most of Mothobiso’s customers arestarting up farmers and those that wantto increase their small stock. He hasnot had a contract with any of the bigchain yet, it is still in the pipeline forshort term goals. Agricultural shows arealso a platform to market his business.Mothobi says they have played asignificant role in growing his businessas he gets to show case his products andsell at very good prices at the shows.“Shows have really been a goodmarketing and networking platform forme. Often I get noticed because I winseveral prizes for the animals. The prizeshave a price tag on them and also giveone exposure.”This year alone, Mothobi won sevenprizes at Mahalapye agriculturalshow and five prizes at the NationalAgricultural show. For the latter show,he won champion for senior buck, ewe,does and junior doe.“I make a lot of money from sales aswell, I make more than P30, 000.00in shows. My bucks sell at aroundP13, 000.00 each. I some times selleverything I showcase.”December m 2012 14