Botswana is witnessing a decline in the population of livestock due to climate change, the state-run Dailynews reported here Wednesday.
The state-run paper quoted the deputy permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture Cassius Moreki as saying that the country is concerned at the decline of livestock population as it has a negative effect on beef exports to the European Union, Norway and other markets.
The official said climate change was a major contributory factor to the decline, saying that it was necessary that farmers and government address the decline in livestock population.
This could be achieved by finding ways of dealing with climate change effects, Moreki said.
He revealed that agriculture currently accounts for 2.2 percent of Botswana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), down from over 40 percent of GDP at independence in 1966.
Over 80 percent of the agriculture’s share of the GDP is attributed to the livestock sub- sector.
Moreki also noted that agriculture was one government’s priority areas and as a result, a number government initiatives had been put in place to support the livestock sub-sector.
KO/jn/APA