DVS exceeds vaccination target

Mmegi Editor | Tuesday September 19, 2017 11:58

The Okavango area is home to thousands of wildlife species, particularly the buffalo that is responsible for the spread of FMD in cattle. This place is vast, and also home to hundreds of thousands of cattle, the population that grew after many years of closure of the Maun abattoir that could not sell beef to the outside market. It is therefore commendable for DVS to achieve such a huge milestone, which could only be possible with the cooperation of the farmers in the Okavango. We hope that this achievement will definitely benefit the Okavango community who will then sell their cattle to Maun abattoir to sustain it and create more jobs for people in the area. Another important thing to note about the vaccination project is the fact that the FMD vaccine is manufactured locally by the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) that has a good reputation in many African countries and beyond. It is procurement of this magnitude by the government that can sustain local companies in all sectors of manufacturing, services, and others to create jobs.

Sometimes we are left wondering why the government, which is the biggest consumer of goods and services would prefer to import such from neighbouring countries when there are local companies that are struggling to find market for their goods.

One of the immediate examples is the construction sector where materials such as cement, bricks, and other products are imported when they could be sourced locally.  Whilst efforts have been made to compel companies to procure goods and services from local companies, a lot still needs to be done to ensure that there is compliance.

The successful FMD vaccination in Hainaveld comes months after Zone 6 was declared FMD free area after several years of a painful declaration as an FMD threat area, that made it impossible for farmers to sell their cattle to the Francistown abattoir. We hope that farmers in the aforementioned areas will be motivated to produce more cattle to sell to Botswana Meat Commission because they have huge chunks of grazing land and water supplies.

Most importantly, we hope that those tasked with marketing our beef will be more inspired to work harder to find new markets. The Hainaveld success is prove that with determination and team work, many things can be achieved to take this country many steps forward.

Today’s thought

“Without food, we cannot survive, and that is why issues that affect the food industry are so important.” 

– Marcus Samuelsson