Dr John Moseki of the Department of Animal Health said at a one-day workshop on the livestock feed system in Botswana at Sebele on Tuesday that chicken manure or droppings were dangerous when used as livestock feed.

Dr Moseki said the use of chicken manure as part of the ingredients for animal feeds was prohibited as it could spread costly infectious diseases.

He said said instead of using poultry manure as animal feed, it should be used as fertilizers in the horticultural industry.

Dr Moseki said the livestock industry in Botswana played an important role in the agricultural and economic health of the country hence the need to safeguard it at all cost.

He said the Botswana Bureau of Standards had developed eight sets of standards among them livestock standards, adding that BOB was working on a fish type standard.

Dr Moseki however said the government officers were embarking on a countrywide tour to educate Batswana on the danger of converting poultry droppings for the purpose of feeding their animals.

Another speaker, Mr Slumber Badubi of the Department of Agricultural Research (DAR) told the participants that livestock production in Botswana was the main agricultural activity in rural areas.

Mr Badubi said livestock production represented 26 per cent of the nation's labour force. Communal livestock rearing accounts for 96 per cent of national production. The remainder comes from commercially husbandary. All livestock production depends to a large extent on natural pastures.

He said animal production in Botswana was affected by inadequate feed quantities and quality, due mainly to semi-arid low rainfall, which could barely support arable farming during some years.

Mr Badubi said imported feed could put Botswana at risk, as most of the imported livestock feeds go untested.

Last year, some animal feeds manufactured in South Africa were recalled from Botswana after they were found to be containing animal protein, something which was against the law. He said the problem could arise as a result of feed manufactures and masters not working harmoniously to tackle this type of problem.

The problem is compounded by competition between the livestock and human feed industries for the available pulses and cereals.

Participants recommended that there should be regular sampling of animal feeds at entry points and random sampling at the production and distribution levels, reports Republic of Botswana.

The objective of the workshop was to sensitise farmers about the the issues of safety and quality of livestock feeds in Botswana.