Australian cattle take off to Botswana

Botswana representative Thapelo Seilaleksos attending Beef 2024 in Rockhampton. Picture: Ellouise Bailey Various breeds of live Australian cattle, including from Queensland, have been imported into Botswana for the first time in history. Representative Thapelo Seilaleksos spent the last six months travelling Australia, scouting for suitable cattle on behalf of the government to lift the country's genetic pool and provide quality genetics to its producers at a subsidise rate. He said the country had been reliant on genetics from South Africa, but wanted to cease livestock trade from there due to "uncontrollable foot-and-mouth disease". Last year, a representative from Botswana purchased and imported 163 head of live cattle from the United States. This year the country's second consignment were scouted from Australia. On Tuesday, Mr Seilaleksos' trip came to an end when he returned to Botswana with 92 head of live Australian cattle and 150 head of live dairy goats on a chartered ...