A critical look at the use of exotic bulls in traditional beef farming in Botswana

Data of indigenous and exotic bull breeds used between 1987 and 1995 were a vailable from Rarnatlabama Bull Stud and Artificial Insemination Laboratory . The bull breeds include indigenous breeds: Tswana, Tuli, Bonsmara and Afr icander and exotic breeds: Brahman, Simmental, Hereford, South Devon, Santa Gertrudis, Friesian, Charolais, Pinzgauer, Sussex, Gilbviech and Jersey. T hese bulls were used in natural service (n = 6352 +/- 3047 bulls per year) and artificial insemination (n 5261 +/- 1410 semen straws per year). Analys es of the data revealed that throughout the study period significantly (p < 0.05) more exotic bull breeds were used in natural service (94.9 +/- 2.2% vs 5.1 +/- 2.2% per year) and as semen (94.1 +/- 3.2% vs 5.9 +/- 3.2% per y ear) than indigenous bull breeds. Brahman bulls (56.5 +/- 5.4% per year in natural service, 54.4 +/- 6.6% per year in artificial insemination) were th e highest in demand compared to other exotic (38.4 +/- 6.6% per year in nat ural service; 39.7 +/- 8.6% per year in artificial insemination) and indige nous bull breeds (5.9 +/- 2.2% per year in natural service; 5.1 +/- 2.2% pe r year in artificial insemination). The demands for Brahman and other exoti c bull breeds were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those of indigenous bull breeds in both natural service and semen collection. Such results are consistent with the promotion of the use of exotic bulls over this period through the government bull subsidy scheme and artificial insemination. Thi s promotion was carried out after research showed that crossbred progeny si red by exotic bull breeds had higher productivity than progeny sired by ind igenous bull breeds. Crossbreeding should not be practised under the tradit ional farming system. Under this system paddocks are not fenced hence breed ing is not controlled, management expertise is mediocre in most cases, farm ers can not afford to supplementary feed animals and farmers can not also a fford high veterinary care for their crossbred animals. Comparatively, farm ing the pure Tswana under the traditional system is advantageous since this breed is acclimatised to the harsh climatic conditions of Botswana and thr ives under conditions where crossbreds would produce far below their geneti c potential.