As the fight against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) intensifies, several organisations demonstrated solidarity with the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) for FMD, donating resources worth over P2 million.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti assured the nation that his Ministry was taking every measure possible to fight against FMD.
He expressed gratitude for the donations, noting that they have eased efforts in the battle against FMD. Dr Dikoloti noted that he was scheduled to meet with former soldiers and police officers at Good Hope Kgotla, who have expressed interest in contributing their skills to efforts aimed at combating FMD.
He also highlighted that the European Union (EU) has not completely banned the export of beef from Botswana to EU markets, except for beef from particular zones such as Zone 3, Zone C and Zone 6B. Dr Dikoloti shared that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has in the past two days, slaughtered 665 cattle with another 550 EU eligible cattle envisaged for slaughter in the coming days.
Deputy Permanent Secretary to the President (DPSP), Ms Matshediso Bokole said despite rising incidents of FMD in the North East region, efforts were underway to contain the disease from spreading further as agriculture remain one of the priority sectors and significant contributor to the GDP of Botswana.
Ms Bokole said efforts to contain FMD were not confined to government alone as she extended gratitude for donations from the private sector, including a donation of 30,000 litres of diesel from Botswana Oil worth P488,400.
Pinnacle Geomatics donated drone surveillance service worth P2 million, equipped with advanced thermal imaging capable of detecting movement in darkness or dull weather conditions. The drone is also fitted with speakers and a high-powered lens that can zoom across distances of 30km or more.
Tswana Fuel donated 10,000 litres of diesel worth P162,800 while Agrizor donated 10 advanced solar powered agricultural sprayers with improved pump pressure and a durable battery with power to last up to eight hours, as well as an additional P5,000.
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