Gov't to import 1,000 Girolando cattle from Brazil
Goitsemodimo Kaelo | Wednesday November 12, 2025 06:00
This, he said, followed the completion of a government mission to Brazil. Boko announced this when delivering the State of the Nation Address. 'We are now finalising the necessary import protocols and negotiating technical partnership agreements with sellers to ensure the successful commencement of the project. These partnerships will support us over the next two years by facilitating skills transfer to Batswana, who will be directly employed on the project,' he said.
The President said this is part of the new administration's strategy to improve the country's milk production. He said they have developed a focused strategy for the dairy sector through Milk Valley, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Botswana Development Corporation.
'For several years, progress was stalled due to the prevalence of Foot and Mouth Disease in neighbouring countries, which prevented the importation of biological assets. Currently, our local production capacity for milk and related products stands at 13%, and we are targeting an increase to over 60% by next year,' Boko said.
Recognising that feed availability is essential for successful dairy operations, BOko said government is finalising the out-grower programme guidelines to engage contract farmers around the Lobatse region in support of this project. 'Additionally, we are identifying other regions across the country for potential expansion once a sustainable business model is firmly established,' he said. Boko's confirmation comes less than a month after the Ministry of Agriculture issued a press release denying that it has purchased a Brazilian-bred cow. Media reports indicated that the Girolando breed—a major milk-producing cattle breed—had been mooted for introduction between the two countries.
Meanwhile, Boko said the 2024–2025 season saw a 34.2% increase in planted area compared to the previous season, yielding an estimated 144,000 tonnes in production, a massive improvement when compared to only 39,795 tonnes in the 2023–2024 season.
'This is well within the UDC manifesto objective of tripling food production yield and output; another success milestone delivered. Drought, pest infestation, floods, and bushfires account for annual production losses of up to 5,000 tonnes, which is why Botswana is shifting towards climate-resilient farming,' he added.
Boko said accrued horticulture production rose to 88,670 tonnes from 2,400 hectares, yielding an impressive 77,398 tonnes of vegetables and 11,272 tonnes of fruits, again evidence of great progress. This output, he said, meets 80% of Botswana’s national vegetable demand and 29% of its fruit demand.
Furthermore, the President said, recognising the importance of commercial-scale farming, which would help achieve the goal of national food security, a group of investors arranged for 16 farmers from across the country to visit Bangladesh from July 25 to 30, 2025.
'The team was led by representatives from the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, Letsema Horticulture Market, National Agricultural Research and Development Institute (NARDI), and Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN). The farmers, on the other hand, included members of Fodder Producers, Fish Farmers Association, and the Botswana National Beef Producers Union, amongst others. These anchor farmers are now being facilitated to start and operate farms that will act as a point of reference and support for other farmers,' he said.
Additionally, Boko said in order to diversify the economy through agriculture, government is leading a policy shift which will enable licit cultivation and use of industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis. He said to begin this programme on a sound footing, Hemp Innovations, a global corporate entity with experience in the field, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Government of Botswana to work alongside BUAN and NARDI to explore and pilot hemp production. He stated that these partnerships will enable research and development for the cultivation and processing of industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis. 'The project will be implemented in phases, starting with trials at BUAN and will build up to Batswana farmers with an interest in industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis,' he added.