In its efforts to develop the dairy industry, the Government of Botswana decided to concentrate on main "dairy development areas", lying within 2 hours' journey (some 80 km on reasonable roads) from a milk market. The farmers outside these areas would not be encouraged to shift to dairy production but would continue to concentrate on beef production (Fielding, 1978a).
There are two major livestock production systems in Botswana: a fenced ranching system, and the traditional "cattle post" system in which cattle are grazed on unenclosed communal pasture. Within the dairy development areas several options are available, namely to upgrade cattle post fodder production by growing fodder crops, to establish communal ranches, or to allow a farmer to fence his own cattle post. Recognition that dairy development must be complemented with parallel improvements in management and the diets of either the cow or the calf is explicit in these options 7. In both beef and dairy systems it is recommended that before increased production through improved range management, nutrition or crossbreeding is considered, a certain level of management must be attained. A "reasonably acceptable" management level, as practiced on the network of 18 government ranches in Botswana, provides (APRU, 1981):
- A degree of fencing so that breeding herds may be controlled, young stock separated and standing hay retained for dry-season feeding.- Continuous mineral supplementation and
- Adequate year-round water supplies within a reasonable distance of the grazing area.
7 Supplying farmers with high yielding cows of exotic breeds has often been regarded as an easy alternative, but unless satisfactory levels of inputs are provided to these cows, their milk yields, reproductive performance and survival rates are severely impaired, prophylactic disease control.
The system selected for this analysis is that of leasehold fenced ranching in the Masiatilodi and Matlolakgang ranches west of Gaborone, with central Kalahari bush and arid, sweet-bush savanna on sand veld (see Figure 1). In addition to the indigenous T cows, ST cows are considered in the analysis. Earlier comparisons by APRU showed that ST cows produced significantly heavier calves at birth and that the growth of these calves to weaning was superior to that of calves produced by all other cow breeds (Trail et al, 1977; APRU, 1980b). These findings reflect the superior potential of these cows as milk producers.
APRU has gathered considerable data on both primary production and animal productivity over the last decade. Research on cattle post systems has been limited, however, and only incomplete data are available. Efforts have concentrated mainly on the network of research stations operated by APRU itself. The Masiatilodi and Matlolakgang ranches are part of this network. These locations were chosen for this study merely because the comprehensible and reliable input output data essential for model validation were available there. However, it should be possible, through the experience of the Botswana researchers, to extrapolate the results of this analysis to other locations within the main "dairy development areas".
Figure 1. Botswana and the study area.
