205 more Girolando cattle arrive as BDC scales dairy ambition
The second consignment of Girolando dairy cattle arrived in Botswana on Saturday from Brazil, marking yet another milestone in Botswana Development Corporation’s (BDC) continued scale up of the Milk Valley Farm in Lobatse.
The second batch of 205 cattle follows a consignment of 186 cows that arrived in July. Further, 206 cattle are expected within days, bringing the total number of imported cows from the South American nation to closer to 600 out of the 1000 that was purchased.
The stocking of the dairy farm is expected to strengthen the domestic dairy production, which is still at an infancy stage despite a huge market gap to fill. Currently the majority of Botswana’s milk demand is satisfied through imports from neighbouring South Africa. At full scale, Milk Valley Farm is targeting a herd of approximately 3,000 cattle and annual milk production of approximately 15 million litres. The project is intended to increase domestic milk production, strengthen food security, reduce reliance on dairy imports, and contribute to the development of a more competitive local dairy industry. Therefore, the arrival of high-yield Girolando dairy cattle is regarded as a huge boost for the industry.
“Milk Valley Farm is strategically important because it speaks directly to some of our national priorities, strengthening food security, reducing our dependence on dairy imports, and building a competitive domestic dairy industry. The opportunity extends beyond primary milk production. This is the kind of productive investment we want to see: investment that builds local capacity, creates opportunities for our people, and keeps more economic value within Botswana,” said Minister of Trade & Entrepreneurship Tiroeaone Ntsima, reflecting on the significance of the project.
The phased importation forms part of BDC’s broader program to transform Milk Valley Farm into a modern, large-scale commercial dairy operation. The Girolando breed was selected for its milk-production potential, resilience and adaptability to warmer climatic conditions of Botswana.
“This is an important milestone in BDC’s continued investment in Botswana’s productive capacity. We are building a modern dairy operation that will strengthen food security, reduce reliance on dairy imports, and unlock opportunities across the dairy value chain. The impact of the investment should ultimately be measured beyond milk production because it is about jobs, skills, citizen enterprise, and creating more value here at home. At BDC, we are investing today to build the Botswana of tomorrow,” said BDC Managing Director Oteng Keabetswe, emphasizing that the project reflects the importance of translating investment into tangible economic impact.
As Milk Valley Farm expands, the project has the potential to stimulate opportunities across feed and fodder production, veterinary and animal-health services, transport and logistics, equipment maintenance, cold-chain services, breeding and distribution, while creating a platform for downstream dairy processing and value addition.
BDC has progressively invested in the infrastructure required to support this growth, including a 72-point rotary milking parlour, modern dairy housing, expanded water infrastructure, feed and fodder systems, modern herd-management and breeding systems, and strengthened biosecurity infrastructure. Milk Valley Farm was also granted Foot and Mouth Disease-Free Dairy Compartment Status by Botswana’s Department of Veterinary Services in June 2026, strengthening the animal health and biosecurity foundation required for the farm’s continued expansion.
