Has applied through the tender system to the Manyana, Sedibeng, Kanye and Mathethe Land Boards and was told that milk is not a priority in Botswana. Nevertheless the government’s Economic Diversification Drive strategy identified dairy as a priority sector. Forty employees have been laid off. 519 dairy farming students have been trained. Was producing 7,000 litres of milk every day but due to feed shortages had to cut down to 3-4 thousand litres a day. The President has come several occasions emphasising the need to develop the dairy sector but nothing was forthcoming. Have written 10 letters outlining his plight to the different departments within the Ministry of Agriculture. There was no response. In September 2012 Vice President Kedikilwe toured the farm. He promised that all these problems will be sorted out. Nothing happened. Now he has 300 to 400 baboons coming every day to eat his cow feed. The Department of Wildlife told him that they didn’t have vehicles to attend to his problems. Now he is slaughtering the cows because he cannot let them die from hunger. (Sunday Standard 20.12.2013)
P. Matibe. Milk Africa CEO (1): The company had leased 2,500 hectares of land in the Barolong, Ramatlabama and Good Hope area for fodder production. The country would need about four farms of the same magnitude. They have employed 25 permanent and pensionable employees. (Daily News 17.11.16)
