The future of Botswana beef exports to the EU could be in jeopardy after the government failed to convince Ngamiland farmers to surrender 8 km of land as buffer for the prevention of FMD transmission - a requirement by the EU.

Vice President Lt-General Mompati Merafhe said on Friday (May 7), the Ministry of Agriculture would take 8 km of land each from Ngamiland and Nhanzi; the combined 16 km stretch of land would then be turned into a game farm dividing the two areas.

He said the EU has instructed Botswana to make a 10-km livestock-free zone between the two districts to prevent any possible FMD transmission from the affected cattle in Ngamiland. EU states have made it clear that they will ban Botswana beef if there is any FMD outbreak in Nganzi.

The proposed buffer is currently a source of conflict between the government and farmers. Farmers on the side of Ngamiland are refusing to free their land for the project, saying they don't want to be part of a scheme promoting Nganzi farmers' interests.

Merafhe said farmers, whose cattle posts and farms lie within the proposed area, would be relocated as their farms would be transformed into game parks. The government will make arrangements for compensating the displaced farmers.

The farmers fear that by allowing the construction of the buffer at Kuke, they would have surrendered themselves to perpetual outbreaks of livestock diseases in the area. Many farmers say the ministry should create the buffer in the Habu area where the disease originates, not in Kuke.

The enraged farmers bombarded Merafhe with heavy criticism, accusing government of failure to completely eradicate FMD in Ngamiland.

One of the farmers, Keleitsang Ledimo, said the ministry pulled down the Setata cordon fence after the outbreak of cattle lung disease, which made it easier for the diseases to spread in the district.