Wild Entrust’s newly hired BAITS officers Mr Kerapetse Kalafo and Mr Kelweefe Xubere joined with their counterparts from CLAWS (Eretsha) for induction training in Maun on 21st February 2022. Organized by the Department of Veterinary Services, the four days long training introduced the quintet to Botswana’s Animal Identification and Tracking System (BAITS), its online log-in credentials and how to navigate all interphases. The specific responsibility of the duo will be to establish and maintain a BAITS database for all livestock farmers in the Habu area.
BAITS is a critical compliance requirement in the country’s new and improved beef value chain including within the Commodity Based Trade (CBT) of beef currently being demonstrated by CO-EX in Habu. The system essentially entails the ear tagging of animals within three months of birth. Both an electronic ear tag which contains a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) and an analogue ear tag are used.
Cattle tagging involves the farmer buying the combo tags (digital and analogue), tagging his animals and submitting data to BAITS Officers who then populate the online database. Before the hiring of our two BAITS Officers, farmers in Habu were compelled to commute 80km to purchase ear tags as well as submit their animal information in Gumare.