In 1975 the government of Botswana introduced the National Policy on Tribal Grazing Land (White paper No.2 of 1975), known as TGLP. Tribal grazing land was zoned into Communal Areas, in which communities retained collective land rights; Commercial Areas, in which leasehold rights were granted for ranching purposes; Wildlife Management Areas, in which wildlife utilisation was the primary form of land use but domestic stock were permitted; and Reserved Areas intended to be a reserve for development by future generations.

In 1978 the World Bank commenced funding Botswana's second Livestock Development Project MDP II) to support; livestock development, particularly TGLP, over the next five years. To address the issues of grazing control and better range management in the communal areas, the Animal Production Research Unit (APRU) was directed to establish twelve communal grazing units using communal area cattle, and a further two control units stocked and managed by APRU.