The Ministry of Agriculture’s Department of Veterinary Services has issued tenders for the supply and delivery of cattle ear tags pairs and applications for domestic animal identification and trace back system.
This follows after an announcement was made last year that the department had resolved to change from bolus system, which was used in the past, to ear tag system, which is expected will be user friendly as it does not need expertise to insert into cattle.
Complaints about bolus were, amongst other things that it needs a lot of expertise to insert into cattle and veterinary officers who were charged with the task of inserting them were not always available to do the job leaving many of the famers’ cattle without proper indentification, which in the end meant they could not sell them.
The tender, in an advertisement from the Ministry, says that it is open to international bidding methods but restricted to manufactures.
It says that tenderers domiciled in Botswana wishing to be considered for the award of the contract must be appropriately licensed to trade, manufacture and or supply the items and must be in possession of requisite documentation to import, manufacture or sell such items according to laws of Botswana.
It further said that “preference in accordance with provisions of PPAD Act 2001 shall apply to the contract as per applicable Presidential Directives”.
Lack of proper identification of the country’s cattle has, in the past, led to delisting of BMC by the lucrative European Union markets, which is reported to have cost the abattoir and the country millions of pula.
Ear tagging is expected to start in April.
