BATOKA RESUSCITATED

By Lawrence Kabutu

GOVERNMENT is revamping the Golden Valley Agricultural Research Trust (GART) Batoka Livestock Development Centre in Choma to breed cattle, goats and chickens that can with stand climatic shocks and diseases.

GART Executive Director Martin Muyunda said so far government has constructed new infrastructure at the Centre, procured lateral and centre pivots for irrigation, constructed water reservoirs, constructed boreholes, and connected power from the national electric grid for irrigation.

Dr. Muyunda said the 43 kilometres wire fence comprising 9,000 hectares has been erected at the centre.

He revealed that the centre has already started rearing Boran, Jersey, and Friesian cattle producing 378 litres of milk per day and confirmed that breeding of available exotic animals will be done with the indigenous cattle such as the Angoni, Barotse and Tonga breeds.

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He clarified that the Boar goats are currently also stocked at the centre to breed with the local breeds to come up with a breed that is not susceptible to disease.   

And Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Permanent Secretary Anna Songolo said the Centre will concentrate in Research and Development as a core back born of improving the Livestock Development Centre.

Dr. Songolo added that the offloading of the animals to farmers who will want to purchase either cattle, goats, or chickens will commence in 2025.

‘’We have done a very good job so far, Batoka was handed over for management purposes though the ownership still remains with the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock but management purpose was handed over to GART less than a year ago. We have seen electricity has been harnessed from way across the main road, we have constructed boreholes and we are now using the centre,’’ she explained.

She explained that farmers who purchase and access livestock from the centre will undergo various training sessions for easy management to avoid diseases.

And Southern Province Permanent Secretary Namani Monze said the resuscitated BatokaLivestock Development Centre, a grant aided institution, should now start providing cheaper animals to communities for rearing.

Dr. Monze said Southern Province is generally a farming area and with the changes in the climate, adapting livestock farming becomes very important as the field crops cannot withstand the negative impact of climate change.

He said the first phase of discussions concerning the Batoka Livestock Development Centre by the Provincial Administration in Southern Province were on resuscitating the institution and now are based on how the centre will benefit the surrounding communities.  

Ministry of Agriculture Permanent Secretary- Technical Green Mbozi said the centre is clearing the land starting with the first 25 hectares to plant wheat using both the lateral and centre pivot irrigation. 

Mr. Mbozi said the future of the Batoka Livestock Development Centre is bright as infrastructure such as dams and water reservoirs are to irrigate the crops.

Henoted that the breeding programme of exotic and indigenous cattle will improvethe genetics of the new breed to withstand harsh climatic conditions anddiseases.

Meanwhile, the Livestock Development Centre hasconstructed two solar powered boreholes to benefit 1550 cattle and 800 goats inthe Batoka.

The solar powered boreholes and water troughs were constructed forthe local communities around the Centre as a Corporate Social Investment.

Dr. Muyunda said the locals in Chief Chooma’s chiefdom weredriving their cattle and small livestock to the Batoka Livestock DevelopmentCentre to access water.

He explained that the local communities participated in decidingthe location of the boreholes and water troughs and that the water troughs cantake 50 animals on either side.

And Dr.Songolo said Corporate Social Investment undertaken by theBatoka Livestock Development Centre is something that institutions in businessshould pursue by assisting the surrounding communities and noted that theconstruction of the troughs and boreholes is a technology transfer to smallscale farmers in the area.

She expressed happiness that farmers who entirely depended on theBatoka Livestock Development Centre have clean and safe drinking for them andtheir livestock.

NAIS

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