Beefing up Botswana livestock industry with science

| Friday May 17, 2013 00:00

 

What we need to do is to test its eating quality and promote it in steak houses in the same way that the Scottish are doing with Aberdeen Angus. Livestock expert *Prof OARABILE R. MADIBELA argues that we need to brand and promote Tswana cattle in the same manner the South Africans are doing with Nguni cattle.

Farming is not always smooth sailing and many people term it a risky business. Throughout their lives Batswana livestock farmers have encountered one problem or another. Some problems could be mild but some have precarious outcome. Droughts, lack of feeds for livestock even during non-drought years, prevalence of diseases, lack of markets for small stock, lack of managerial skills and credit especially for smallholder farmers are problems usually encountered. However, in the past year the beef farmers had to endure the most difficult challenges of foot and mouth and the closure of the EU beef market. The out-break of foot and mouth disease and the closure of Botswana Meat Commission has taken such a toll on the beef industry that farmers and the nation have become emotional about the subject. This is understandable because cattle contribute immensely to the livelihood of Batswana and to the national economy.

The Botswana beef industry comes from a long way; long before independence. This author remembers that in 1993 in Scotland meeting an old Scottish man who reminisced about his adventures in the then Bechuanaland, driving cattle from MmaNgwato to the south for marketing. The history of the Botswana beef industry is found everywhere too, for an example, in the London Times of September 1966, a supplement on the Republic of Botswana highlighted the importance of livestock in the economy of the young nation and called it Botswana's chief industry.

Based on the long history of Botswana beef industry, logic would dictate that Botswana should be a centre of excellence for beef production, but the reality is that our cattle industry is still struggling and challenged. When I travel abroad and I meet people who have heard about our supply of beef to the EU, they would light up and give praises to our beef. I would feel proud, but I would mention that Botswana could do better. Even during the times of absence of diseases and presence of markets, production rates have not been optimum. For a very long time birth rates of cattle in the traditional sector have hovered around 60% (Statistics Botswana 2012) while research in Botswana has shown that birth rates ranged between 76-80% (Animal Production and Range Research Unit 1980).

Birth rates of goat and sheep are recorded as 45% and 35% for goat and sheep respectively (Statistics Botswana 2012); this is lower than research results that show 124% and 116% for Boer and Tswana goats respectively. Birth rates of Dorper and Tswana sheep under research conditions stand at 68% and 88% respectively (APRU 1980).

The discrepancies between production parameters under practical situation and research conditions may be pointing to lack of management skills and lack of uptake of production technologies.It has been repeatedly shown that science is capable of bringing changes because it opens doors to discoveries and opportunities. Those economies that have experienced industrial progress are the ones that have embraced science. Agriculture and food production in particular has benefited immensely from advancement in science. Even the green revolution benefited from science through breeding of better cereals and the practise of improved and tested farming technologies. Importing science from elsewhere as it is sometimes proposed by our leaderships may not be enough and at times it may prove to be detrimental. In the past I have heard of flirtation with importing scientists from as far as Australia to do research in Botswana. The attraction to the Australians being that they have a successful agricultural industry. Have we ever stopped and pondered as to what made Australia or any other successful country in agriculture achieve these glowing results? The answer, without batting an eyelid is definitely science and innovation.  Besides the green revolution that happened in Asia due to science, there are evident examples of such contribution of science in increasing food production elsewhere, especially in countries which were once termed third world. Take Brazil for example; 30 years ago, it was importing food but the leadership there embarked on a mission to turn things around. This involved the creation of EMBRAPA. EMBRAPA, a national agricultural research corporation is credited for making Brazil an exporter of food and now rank among the big five exporting countries of Australia, Argentina, Canada, EU and USA. EMBRAPA operate as a public company and these days it even support ACP and African scientists financially. Browsing through Rhodesian Journal of Agricultural Research, one can marvel at the type of research that was carried out there. Probably science became a sanction busting strategy by the Ian Smith government because the agriculture industry of Zimbabwe was one of the best in the region. I did my undergraduate at the University of Zimbabwe and can attest to that. Based on this revelation, what is happening to Botswana agricultural research landscape? Actually, there is no landscape. Not much research is taking place, not because there are no brains, but because of lack of appreciation for science and its role in food production. This has led to the lack of funds for agricultural research and neglected infrastructure that was set up in the 1970 and 1980's. As a former scientist at what used to be a premier agricultural research institute (Department of Agricultural Research), I have observed lack of progress with time due to attrition of highly qualified staff (PhDs), lack of publishing (output) and dilapidation of facilities. May be this is what has led the leadership to put up this institution for a merge with National Food Technology Centre and National Veterinary Laboratory.

However, the lack of progress and application of science in food production does not mean Botswana government is not aware of the potential that can be harnessed through the use of scientific methods. When giving a speech at the launch of the Centre for Coordination of Agricultural Research and Development in Southern Africa (CCARDESA), the then Vice President of Botswana, Mompati Merafhe made reference to the theme of the new institution which is Research and Development: Key to Food Security. This is what he was recorded to have said 'I find the theme both timely and appropriate because in order to keep pace with the population growth and other life demands, research and technology development must remain focused and ahead of time'. Now the following quote is what I found interesting but at times contradicting to the political will that is needed to promote science and hence an appreciation for agricultural researchers. 'Needless to say, we must trust our own agricultural researchers who have a rich traditional knowledge base to share their discoveries and inventions to make agriculture competitive and rewarding' I was also disappointed when I scan through the State of the Nation Address published in the Daily News and could not find reference to how we can harness the power of science to catapult our economy forward, especially as it relates to agriculture. However, elsewhere in the publication it is mentioned that Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) is reviewing National Policy on Agricultural Development. I sincerely hope that at the centre of this policy are the elements of science, research and development. Recently in December 3, 2012 issue of the Daily News the permanent secretary (PS) in the MoA alluded to the fact that it would be easy for Botswana to meet its national food demand if we planted 100,000 hectares and harvested two tonnes of grain per hectare. Actually if we use appropriate technology, we may need less land since it would be possible to reap five to 10 tonnes per hectare. In Zimbabwe there were farmers who belonged to what was called 10 Tonne Club because they were consistently producing 10 tonnes of maize per hectare and this was certainly based on scientific methods proven to work. So what is it that the Botswana government should do to promote agriculture in the short, medium and long term?

In the short time; government departments tasked with extension service should go through past research results and find appropriate technologies that need distilling down for consumption by local farmers. I can bet there is ample information that can possibly increase yields to ranges of 20-50%. This information should then be disseminated in the most creative way. Who remembers an agricultural programme that used to be aired by Radio Botswana called Thibang Diphotlha? According to me, this was the most effective marketing programme for agriculture technology in the 1970 and 1980 in Radio Botswana. Nowadays many people would rather switch from listening to radio to watching TV. As it is, TV is the most powerful marketing tool ever. Every evening the TV invades people's sitting rooms than no other modern gadget. At it is a lot easier to use Btv to sell agriculture technology than the minister addressing Kgotla meetings to sell such technology. It is simple; so let us make 30 seconds to one minute advert about agricultural technology and flight them on Btv. If we can engage the same passion and ingenuity as was present in Thibang Diphotlha, there will be no need for the minister to be going around the country trying to teach farmers about row-planting. The minister is currently doing this because someone somewhere is either not doing their job or are not being creative enough. Actually, now this is where research comes in because the producer of the program will need information to generate these adverts. Hence collaboration with scientists should be a must. Of course MoA will need to budget for air time on Btv. In the short term we also need to make situational analysis to determine where we are and what needs to be done. Analyses of technological progress in agriculture will give us an idea where we need to go, provide justification for funds allocation and for certain research programmes. Another short term task would be to engage stakeholders in research and science about moving ideas from the lab/research farm to the farms and to the table as food (i.e. come with a strategy for creating a culture of enterprise based on innovative research).

In the medium term MoA should consider promoting Agriculture as a science in high schools and re-vamp the old programmes including mentoring programmes like 4B. Another area for medium term consideration would be to invest in an incubation programme at BCA. However, we need local scientists to prove that local concepts can work within our conditions before we can incubate these ideas. Then incubation would lead to commercialisation of research, and to the development of enterprising culture that emanate from science. Incubation is needed for farmers too, especially for upcoming young farmers who graduated from the university. For instance BCA has an incubation programme for its graduates called Student Enterprise Programme (SEP) but it is confined to few commodities, poultry and small stock due to lack of funds. Other potential area of incubation is dairy farming, especially because dairy farming is more technically demanding. Incubation under such university environment is ideal because it harnesses university knowledge from young and enthusiastic minds that has the potential to benefit the agricultural industry. It is ideal because mentors and monitoring facilitation will be easily accessed that can easily transform good ideas into commercially practices, outcomes and to create wealth. So MoA could contribute to this process by putting additional infrastructure and facilities and availing funds for the running cost of agricultural business incubation at BCA for potential student farmers. The above point was suggested by Professor H. J. Chepete in 2006 in a working report on how BCA can improve incubation programme which I believe a copy is available at MoA. Another area for medium term assignment is branding and promoting Tswana cattle in the same manner the South African are doing with Nguni cattle. Based on available research results, Tswana cattle may be the cattle of the future when we will be faced with impacts of climate change. What we need to do is to test its eating quality and promote it in steak houses in the same way that the Scottish are doing with Aberdeen Angus.

In the long term all the departments involved in research under the auspices of MoA should be converted into public companies/parastatals. This hopefully, will ensure productive driven work ethics accompanied by appropriate recognition and rewards. Already the MoA is working on the merge of DAR, NVL and NFTRC albeit in a slow pace.

The other long term task may actually be taking place in Department of Research Science and Technology of Ministry of Infrastructure, Science and Technology, which is competitive funding of research through establishment of Science and Technology Commission. Let us not delay this development because hunger is not waiting. Another long term consideration would be to establish a science advisor to the Office of Minister of Agriculture. Remember the scientific advisor to President Barack Obama and even here at home, the legal advisor to President Festus Mogae. This may be a far-fetched proposal since the PS is there and ideally should be providing that service. In my opinion the office of the PS is burdened with administrative tasks of the ministry that the science aspect is compromised. Again, one needs someone with no sort of alliance but who is motivated purely by her/his profession as a scientist. Someone who believes in the unlimited powers of science to create wealth, grow and diversify the economy. Someone who will not plagiarise and twist scientific facts to conform to what the office of the minister would apparently want to hear (a non-conformist). It should be someone with integrity whose views command respect among the scientific community. And those views should be thought provoking, which challenges the status quo but inspirational at the same time. He/she should be a rounded scientist with a wide spectrum of experience, ranging from test tube research, applied research, research administration and management (someone who once practiced in science as opposed  to someone who trained as a scientist and then went on  do some other things). Remember in the on-going BMC saga it was alleged that the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) pass mere opinions as scientific facts, that's detrimental to the industry and to science as a whole.

Next week we will look at each livestock sector, dissect it and examine the possibilities that science can create.

 *Prof Madibela is a professor of animal nutrition at Botswana College of Agriculture, but opinions expressed here are entirely his and do not reflect those of BCA. However, the calm and serene atmosphere at Sebele may have inspired these ideals. Comments are welcome at; omadibel@bca.bw