WORLD TRADE G/AG/N/BWA/5
15April 1997
ORGANIZATION(97-1621)
Original: English Committee onAgriculture
NOTIFICATION
Thefollowing notification concerning domestic support commitments (Table DS:1 andthe
relevant supporting tables) for1995/96 wasreceived fromthedelegation oftheRepublic ofBotswana
on7March 1997.
_______________
BOTSWANA
Thedomestic agricultural support measures applied byBotswana in1995/96 arethose listed
intheattached Supporting Table DS:1.G/AG/N/BWA/5
Page2Supporting Table DS:1 DOMESTIC SUPPORT: Botswana
REPORTING PERIOD: 1995/96
Measures exempt fromthereduction commitment -"Green Box"
Measure
typeName anddescription ofmeasure withreference tocriteria inAnnex 2 Monetary value of
measure
(million P)Data sources
1 2 3 4
(a)General services Botswana Government
documents:
-1995/96 Estimates of
Expenditure from the
Consolidated Development
Funds
-1995 Project Review
-Annual Economic Review
1996 and1997 (Sectoral
Performance 1995 and
1996).Agricultural research
Development oftechnology andexchange ofgerm plasm toimprove productivity and
theviability ofthesector.
Livestock fodder, soilandwater conservation andmachinery forsmall scale farmers.
Testing ofcropvarieties forusebyfarmers.
Enhancement ofwater harvesting/conservation techniques inorder toimprove moisture
avaibility forcrops.
3,57
Technology development
Toimprove productivity intheagricultural sector theGovernment through the
Department ofAgricultural Research provides thefarming community withhighyielding
crop varieties which aredrought andpestresistant, exotic andearly maturing.G/AG/N/BWA/5
Page3Measure
typeName anddescription ofmeasure withreference tocriteria inAnnex 2Monetary value of
measure
(million P)Data sources
1 2 3 4
Artificial insemination service
Inaddition tobulls formore farmers theservice isprovided bytheGovernment tothe
farmers inorder toimprove thequality ofcattle herd.
Developed animal disease programme
Diseases ofNational andeconomic importance suchasFoot andMouth, Antrax, Black
Quarter, Brucellosis andRabies, theGovernment continues tooffer freevaccination to
farmers toprevent their animals from these diseases. These aredone through yearly
vaccination campaigns. There isalsotheissue ofTsetsefly which theGovernment
continues tofight through eradication campaigns byusing safeandenvironmentally
friendly methods. (More funds areexpected tobeusedduring 1996 toassist thefarmers
intheNorth Eastern partofthecountry where over 300,000 cattle hadtobedestroyed
duetotheCattle Lung Disease).2,8
Water development 3
23Due tothelack ofsurface andunderground water sources theGovernment assists
livestock farmers withborehole drilling andequipping grants.
Plant protection programme
Duetotheagroclimatic conditions ofBotswana plants aresucceptable todiseases and
these aretobecontrolled bytheuseofpesticides andinsecticides which ordinary
farmers donothave theknowledge ofhowtoapply them. Theplant protection unit
assists suchfarmers incontrolling these plant diseases. Also theunitassists farmers with
thespraying oflocusts andquelea birds when theyattack their fields. Theprogramme
involved thepurchase ofanewspraying aircraft.
Disasters/emergencies
Asandwhen there isanational disaster oremergency Cabinet isapproached toapprove
funding inorder todealwiththeproblem.