Visit by Botswana delegation

ACIAR CEO Dr Nick Austin welcomes the President of the Republic of Botswana, His Excellency Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama (photo courtesy Auspic)

ACIAR hosted the President of the Republic of Botswana, His Excellency Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama on 2 March 2010. The delegation met with ACIAR Chief Executive Officer Dr Nick Austin and key ACIAR Research Program Managers to discuss ACIAR’s expanding engagement with Africa.

ACIAR has been supporting agricultural research projects assisting disadvantaged and emerging farmers in southern Africa since 1983. This engagement is set to grow through the Australian Government’s initiative on Food Security through Rural Development.

The Australian Government has announced support for a $1.1 million ACIAR research project to assist small-scale cattle producers to improve their access to markets, and to increase the availability of beef as a protein source in Botswana.

The smallholder cattle farmers, who produce 80-90 per cent of beef in Botswana, operate in similar environments to cattle producers in dry areas of northern Australia.

A team from Botswana will visit Australia to assist in the design of the project, involving the Australian Beef Cooperative Research Centre, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and the Agricultural Research Council of the Republic of South Africa.