Africa-Press – Botswana. Preparations for this year’s Sandveld farmers’ day are at an advanced stage and farmers will be entertained, educated and capacitated with agro-tourism activities.
The activities will start on Friday with a field day followed by a bonfire in the evening.
Saturday will be the official opening by the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Fidelis Molao, followed by a tour of stalls and an auction.
The Secretary General of the Sandveld Ranchers Association, Ms Tebogo Direng, said the three-day event would also include a horse riding competition aimed at capacitating cattle herders.
She said they have also invited Dr Jerry Morris to demonstrate and educate farmers about artificial insemination. Dr Mbatshi Mazwiduma, a veterinarian, would share information with farmers about preparing for a drought.
She said their area had received minimal rains and that veld fires compounded their problems.
She said there would be three other experts, two from South Africa and one from Sandveld, who would share best practices with farmers.
The field day, she said, was all about benchmarking, sharing ideas and success stories so that other farmers could emulate them.
She added that the theme was “sustainable and profitable livestock farming practices through maximisation of ranch carrying capacity, including the introduction of agro-technologies.”
On Friday there would be demonstrations on embryo synchronisation and agro-technologies.
Ms Direng said Botswana Meat Commission CEO, Mr David Tsheboeng, would share information with farmers about their strategies and how farmers could partner with BMC.
The Minister of Entrepreneurship, Mr Karabo Gare, would be the guest speaker and that CEDA CEO, Mr Thabo Thamane, would brief farmers on how the agency could help them deal with the drought, veld fires and the challenges they faced.
There would be exhibitions to showcase all farm implements, animal nutrition and veterinary services, adding that a cattle auction would start with an exhibition of Sandveld cattle.
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