Botswana Development Corporation (BDC) said it has identified two technical partners for its muted dairy project.
Gomolemo Zimona, the Public Relations Manager of the government’s investment arm, told Sunday Standard the technical partners are South African nationals with vast┬áexperience in dairy farming.
“It is not our liking that there were no Batswana who had qualified. We would have liked to have them as well in the project,” he said.
BDC intends to set up dairy farming in order to increase milk production in the country. Currently, Botswana imports close to 80 percent of milk and its by products consumed in the country.
Besides the technical partners, the corporation has also managed to obtain 100 hectors piece of land in Kweneng District Council, which will be used for the project land. Negotiations are ongoing to buy the piece of land from its owner.
BDC said the Kweneng area was the perfect area because of its proximity to Gaborone, which is the biggest consumer of dairy products in the country as well as being a disease free area.
Initially, the corporation intended to buy 100 dairy cows, most of which will be imported from South Africa.
The project will employ a considerable number of Batswana which is one of its objectives. At its full production, the project will produce both fresh milk and its by products, such as cheese, is mostly imported.
