The Cattle Expansion Product Packages, under the auspices of A-Di-Tsale Product Suite, is a response to long-standing challenges in the beef industry by strengthening animal health, improving reproductive performance, enhancing fodder and water security, and providing financial products tailored to livestock production cycles. Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Tiroeaone Ntsima, has described the programme as a strategic national intervention, a building block of transformation, fully aligned with Vision 2036, NDP 12 and the Botswana Economic Transformation Programme (BETP). "This Product Suite is the engine that will finance the resurgence of Botswana’s livestock sector, strengthen our rural economies, and reassert our competitive position in regional and global markets," he said, during the launch on Thursday.
Ntsima took the opportunity to reaffirm new administration’s commitment to creating a supportive business environment for farmers, adding his Ministry was committed to reducing red tape. All these will culminate in improving the ease of doing business, strengthening market access and export readiness, enhancing standards, quality control and traceability, supporting clusters, cooperatives, and agro processing, and creating a fairer, more competitive environment free of exploitative practices. He revealed that the Ministry will collaborate with the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture, the Botswana Vaccine Institute, the Botswana Meat Commission, farmer associations and cooperatives to ensure the programme delivers results across all districts. Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti, highlighted that the Ministry he leads has launched its own A-Di-Tsale Programme in September, aimed at strengthening the beef value chain through improved husbandry and reproductive technologies. “That programme aims to elevate productivity at farm level and restore the foundations of our national herd,” he told the gathering.
