Botswana Farmers Touring New Zealand to Learn Methods
Farming is more a way of life than a business in Botswana and cattle are killed by leopards or die of starvation in droughts.
The country has two million people and 2.8 million cattle, with not enough food for them all.
Most of its income comes from diamond mining, but the diamonds will run out some day.
Botswana's Ministry of Agriculture wants to boost agricultural production, now just 3 per cent of national income.
The New Zealand Aid Programme wanted to help and tendered for people to start a project helping Botswana's beef industry.
Whanganui's Land Based Training (LBT) won the tender, partly with the help of Hamish Bowie, who went to Wanganui Collegiate School, has connections with aid and now lives in the Botswana capital, Gaborone.
Phillip Capper
