Werda — Measles is a threat to the beef industry, the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Patrick Ralotsia, has said.
He was addressing a kgotla meeting in Werda in Kgalagadi District on Friday.
Mr Ralotsia said the measles outbreak was growing at an alarming rate and if stringent measures were not taken, the meat industry would be negatively affected.
He said cattle diagnosed with the disease went not suitable for human consumption, let alone the lucrative European Union market, which was the biggest consumer of Botswana beef.
He, however, pointed out that controlling the disease was easy because all farmers had to do was to build pit latrines at cattle posts because the disease was spread by worms from faecal excretions.
The minister said law enforcement officers in the district had told him that stock theft was also a concern in their area and government was still looking into ways in which it could increase penalties of such offences as way of trying to control the unbecoming behaviour.
He advised farmers to look after their livestock and make sure that they know their where abouts because stray animals were prone to attracting thieves.
Mr Ralotsia said by doing this, law enforcement officers wwould in turn be able to carry out their duties effectively.
He cautioned the residents that since they were located in the border line, therefore they should know that by allowing their animals to stray over the border was a crime punishable by law.
For his part the farmers committee chairman, Mr Jacob Matebesi, said they were disadvantaged by lack of tractors during ploughing season and as such the season normally came to an end while most of them had not ploughed yet.
He also pointed out that they needed to be helped with cluster fencing because animals always destroyed their crops.
Most of the beneficiaries of LIMID programme told the minister that procuring officers took long to pay them and at times they do not use the full amount intended for each beneficiary.
They said the special economic zone idea is disadvantaging them because they are now stuck with small stock and the situation is worsened by the fact that there is no market where they can take their produce and as such they should be allowed to diversify and try other available programmes.
The minister told residents that cluster fencing programme was there and all they need to do is to group themselves and they will be assisted, adding that there are components such as borehole drilling if they need water.
He went on to encourage residents to buy themselves tractors because government is ready to pay them after ploughing for fellow farmers.
He encouraged residents to utilise their agricultural land so that the country can stop importing food.
BOPA