Tuesday, 27 October 2026

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Tuesday, 27 October 2026

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Botswanan press · Organization

Botswana Meat Commission

Also known as: BMC

State-owned beef processing and export entity facing market disruptions from foot-and-mouth disease, payment delays, and operational challenges since early 2026.

2026-04-252026-10-27

News reports

Order a long-term news report on Botswana Meat Commission

Every mention in the Botswanan press over the period you choose, compiled as a PDF or Word document.

In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

October 2026
19 OctDaily News Botswana
… Mr Motsamai said there was also encouraging news for farmers as slaughter of cattle from containment zones had commenced at Botswana Meat Commission where 1 000 cattle had been slaughtered thus far from fenced farms and quarantines. …
Climate change demands modern farming methods
19 OctDaily News Botswana
… Meanwhile Dr Dikoloti said Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) had also started slaughtering cattle from fenced farms and quarantines within the containment zone, processing approximately 1 000 cattle to date. …
Government renews livestock export dispensation
6 OctBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Mozambique offers Botswana beef exporters route through Beira Mozambique has offered Botswana’s beef exporters an alternative route to international markets through the Port of Beira, potentially giving the Botswana Meat Commission greater flexibility as it seeks …
Mozambique offers Botswana beef exporters route through Beira
1 OctDaily News Botswana
… President Chapo and his entourage also visited the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) where they were welcomed by the acting BMC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Oabona Ramotshwara. …
Chapo visits Samora Machel Museum
September 2026
30 SeptDaily News Botswana
… The President and his entourage also had the opportunity to visit the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) where the acting BMC chief executive officer, Mr Oabona Ramotshwara welcomed him to the commission which was established in 1965. …
Samora machel Museum restaurant development underway
28 SeptBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard Botswana cattle industry is “on its knees”, Dow, farmers Botswana’s cattle industry faces an “existential threat” as government restrictions on live cattle exports, financial problems at the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) and foot-and-mouth disease dis …
Botswana cattle industry is “on its knees”, Dow, farmers
14 SeptWeekend Post
… The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), the state-owned enterprise that has served as the country’s beef export gateway since 1965, is scrambling. …
From the Kalahari to Kinshasa: Botswana’s beef industry confronts its moment of reckoning
August 2026
30 AugBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard BMC slaughters more cattle despite FMD The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has slaughtered significantly more cattle at its Lobatse plant this year despite continued disruption to the livestock sector caused by Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). …
BMC slaughters more cattle despite FMD
12 AugBotswana Sunday Standard
… through Ngamiland cattle farmers have welcomed government’s agreement with Namibia to allow beef from the region to transit through its territory into Angola, saying the long-awaited breakthrough could revive cattle farming and improve the fortunes of the Botswana Meat Commission …
Ngamiland Farmers welcome Namibia-Angola beef transit breakthrough
3 AugBotswana Sunday Standard
Sunday Standard BMC misses Norway beef quota again Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has again failed to fully utilise the country’s annual Norway beef quota after recurring foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks disrupted cattle movements and slaughter operations, allowing neighbouring N …
BMC misses Norway beef quota again

Agriculture & Land

Botswana revises livestock export rules to broaden farmer access

The News

The government has renewed its livestock export dispensation with new measures to widen participation, including limiting each farmer or buyer to a single export permit, raising the live cattle export levy from P30 to P300 per head, and restricting meat exports to citizens and citizen-owned companies. The previous dispensation, in place since 2019, had exported over 551,570 cattle mainly to South Africa and Namibia but benefited a relatively small number of participants disproportionately.

20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tuesday 20 October

Botswana revises livestock export rules to broaden farmer access
The government has renewed its livestock export dispensation with new measures to widen participation, including limiting each farmer or buyer to a single export permit, raising the live cattle export levy from P30 to P300 per head, and restricting meat exports to citizens and citizen-owned companies. The previous dispensation, in place since 2019, had exported over 551,570 cattle mainly to South Africa and Namibia but benefited a relatively small number of participants disproportionately.
20 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 19 October

Climate resilience drives modernization of Botswana farming
Botswana's acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture says climate pressures and land degradation make modernisation of agrifood systems an urgent necessity. The Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak that began in January 2026 has diverted approximately P97 million toward disease control, straining agricultural budgets and disrupting domestic and international trade.
19 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →
Government renews livestock export dispensation post-FMD outbreak
Government has renewed livestock export dispensation to help farmers recover from Foot and Mouth Disease disruptions since January, allowing live cattle exports for six months and beef products for twelve months, while approximately P97 million has been redirected towards disease control measures including vaccination and surveillance.
19 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tuesday 6 October

Mozambique offers Botswana beef exporters Port of Beira route
Mozambique has proposed an alternative export route through the Port of Beira for Botswana's beef exporters, offering the Botswana Meat Commission greater flexibility to rebuild and expand exports. The proposal emerged during Mozambican President Daniel Chapo's visit to the Botswana Meat Commission in Lobatse, where officials discussed stronger cooperation in agriculture, livestock and trade.
6 October 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Thursday 1 October

Samora Machel Museum restaurant planned in Lobatse
Botswana is developing a restaurant at the Samora Machel Museum in Peleng, Lobatse, to serve Setswana and Portuguese cuisines. Minister of Environment and Tourism Wynter Mmolotsi announced this during a visit by Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo, highlighting the museum's role in Southern African liberation history and the enduring friendship between the two nations.
1 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Wednesday 30 September

Samora Machel Museum restaurant development underway in Lobatse
Botswana is developing a restaurant at the Samora Machel Museum in Lobatse to serve Portuguese and local Setswana cuisine, including shrimp and Seswaa dishes, Minister of Environment and Tourism Wynter Mmolotsi announced during a visit by Mozambique's President Daniel Chapo.
30 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 28 September

Botswana cattle industry faces existential threat, says BCP official
Botswana Congress Party Vice President Unity Dow says the cattle industry faces an "existential threat" due to government restrictions on live cattle exports, financial problems at the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission, and foot-and-mouth disease.
28 September 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Monday 14 September

Botswana's beef exports shift after EU closes market access
The European Union shut Botswana's last authorized fresh-beef export zones on 21 April 2026 following foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks, forcing the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission to seek alternative markets in the Gulf, sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, including the Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola.
14 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Wednesday 2 September

BMC's P14m court claim for Walgreen payments rejected
Justice Dr Zein Kebonang refused BMC's application for summary judgment over a P14,069,875.04 claim, finding that the commission failed to properly establish the cause of action. BMC could not settle on what the payments to Walgreen actually were, describing them variously as 'prepayments', 'upfront payments', and loans.
2 September 2026 · Mmegi →

Sunday 30 August

BMC processes more cattle despite ongoing FMD disruption
The Botswana Meat Commission slaughtered 12,378 cattle at its Lobatse plant between January and July 2026, an increase of 6,892 head compared with the same period last year, despite continued restrictions on cattle movement and disease-control measures related to Foot and Mouth Disease.
30 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Monday 17 August

Feedlot firms drop BMC lawsuit, pursue government officials instead
Two feedlot companies have withdrawn their court action against the Botswana Meat Commission and now seek to sue the Director of Veterinary Services, the Minister of Lands and Agriculture, the Attorney General, and several industry bodies. The firms, represented by a South African FMD expert lawyer, argue that vaccinated feedlot cattle have been left stranded with millions of pula at stake.
17 August 2026 · Mmegi →

Wednesday 12 August

Ngamiland farmers welcome Namibia-Angola beef transit agreement
Ngamiland cattle farmers have welcomed government's agreement with Namibia to allow beef from the region to transit through its territory into Angola, saying the breakthrough could revive cattle farming and improve the fortunes of the Botswana Meat Commission Maun abattoir.
12 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Monday 3 August

BMC fails to meet Norway beef export quota again
Botswana Meat Commission has again failed to fully utilise the country's annual Norway beef quota due to recurring foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks disrupting cattle movements and slaughter operations, allowing Namibia to secure additional export volumes in the region's beef market.
3 August 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →
Feedlot operators face P27.8m loss from cattle slaughter delays
Botswana's two largest feedlot operators have told the High Court they have lost P27.8 million and exhausted bank funding, with 6,609 market-ready cattle stuck in feedlots for over 100 days and at risk of dying from hunger and organ failure. The firms seek urgent court relief to either have the cattle slaughtered by the BMC or exported immediately, warning of imminent business collapse and threats to hundreds of jobs and the wider beef value chain.
3 August 2026 · Mmegi →

Wednesday 22 July

Boko attributes BMC payment delays to foot-and-mouth disease
President Duma Boko has blamed an ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) for continued payment delays at the Botswana Meat Commission, saying the disease has disrupted the government's pledge to pay cattle farmers within seven days of delivering livestock.
22 July 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Tuesday 7 July

Botswana Meat Commission payment delays persist despite reform pledges
Two months after delivering over 800 cattle to the Botswana Meat Commission's Maun abattoir, farmers in Ngamiland await payment despite assurances payments would be made within days. The Ngamiland Joint Farmers Association chairman said the delays have left farmers struggling with bank loans and operational costs, and the group plans to petition if the situation does not improve.
7 July 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Tuesday 16 June

BMC and BVI expand collaboration with Lesotho on food security
Botswana Meat Commission and Botswana Vaccine Institute are strengthening collaboration with Lesotho through the inaugural Botswana/Lesotho Bi-National Commission, which aims to boost value-added meat processing, animal health and regional food security. The framework also identifies strategic cooperation areas including agriculture, water management, trade, security and investment.
16 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Wednesday 10 June

Key economic recovery projects proceed despite growth challenges
Lobatse MP Kamal Jacobs says government priority projects for economic resuscitation and employment creation are progressing on schedule, citing the Milk Valley Farm expansion programme (expecting 200 cows from Brazil by June 2026), BMC and tannery upgrades, and meat value-addition facilities as examples advancing domestic production and reducing import reliance.
10 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Thursday 4 June

Ghanzi farmers demand government implement beef industry liberalisation
Ghanzi farmers say government must deliver on promised liberalisation of the beef industry from Botswana Meat Commission monopoly to help them weather the current Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak and access regional markets. The policy was repealed by Parliament in 2019 but remains unimplemented.
4 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tuesday 2 June

Inflation reshapes household spending on food and transport
Households across Botswana are recalculating daily spending as inflation raises food, transport, and basic living costs. Meat prices have roughly doubled, selling at about P120/kg compared to around P60/kg in previous periods.
2 June 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Monday 1 June

Botswana beef industry reels from prolonged abattoir closure
Botswana's beef industry is seeking answers as the closure of the Botswana Meat Commission's Lobatse abattoir stretches into months following an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease, deepening concerns over farmer incomes, export earnings, and economic activity in the country's livestock heartland.
1 June 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Thursday 28 May

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak threatens beef exports
Botswana's beef export industry faces a P200 million loss following an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease detected in April 2026 at the Ramatlabama Artificial Insemination and Training Centre, with 159 confirmed cases spreading to the Good Hope district and cattle handling facilities near Lobatse, threatening the country's prized FMD-free status.
28 May 2026 · Weekend Post →

Monday 25 May

BMC revenue rises from P206m to P1 billion
The Botswana Meat Commission's revenue surged from P206 million in 2021 to P1 billion in 2025, though the organization continues to face persistent losses and rising costs amid structural pressures.
25 May 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →
Ngwaketse landboard prioritises biosecurity during FMD crisis
The Ngwaketse landboard chairperson has called for new land-use policies to address the Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in the Southern region, proposing stricter biosecurity measures including protection of veterinary buffer zones and reducing land allocation turnaround times to 48 hours.
25 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 11 May

Auditor General flags P1.6 billion in unpaid state loans
Botswana's parastatals including the Botswana Meat Commission, Air Botswana, and Botswana Postal Services have failed to honour repayment obligations on government loans totalling more than P1.6 billion, with the Auditor General raising concerns over weak oversight and broken repayment agreements.
11 May 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Wednesday 29 April

FMD outbreak blocks Botswana beef exports to EU markets
A foot-and-mouth disease outbreak detected last month has disrupted Botswana's access to quota-free and duty-free EU markets under the EU-SADC Economic Partnership Agreement. The Botswana Meat Commission is holding beef stock valued at no less than P202 million that can no longer be exported to premium international markets, and the country faces production losses and increased disease control costs; government has established a National FMD Command Centre to coordinate response efforts.
29 April 2026 · Mmegi →

Saturday 25 April

BMC diversifies beef exports amid FMD outbreak and EU suspension
The Botswana Meat Commission has accelerated efforts to open new export markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council region, Greater Africa, and Asia while the EU maintains a beef suspension due to Foot and Mouth Disease. The acting CEO said the diversification strategy is designed to secure the long-term sustainability and competitiveness of Botswana's beef industry.
25 April 2026 · Daily News Botswana →