State-owned processor and exporter facing revenue growth but persistent losses, its Lobatse abattoir closed due to Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in 2026.
… He said the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), Lobatse Tannery Project and the Meat value-addition and secondary processing plant to replace the current ECCO Cannery plant were currently progressing well. …
Sunday Standard Beef industry remains in limbo Botswana’s beef industry is seeking answers as the closure of the Botswana Meat Commission’s (BMC) Lobatse abattoir stretches into months following the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), deepening concerns over farmer incomes, …
… The immediate impact of the ban was a sharp drop in revenues for the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), the state-owned entity responsible for beef exports. …
… evenue rises from P206 million in 2021 to P1 billion in 2025 amid persistent losses, rising costs, and structural pressures GAZETTE REPORTER The review period between 2021 and 2025 marks what officials describe as a pivotal phase in the performance of the Botswana Meat Commission …
… Mr Tlhabiwe thus urged the board to recognise the critical impact of the outbreak, particularly given the presence of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) in Lobatse. …
… Government-owned entities including the Botswana Meat Commission, Air Botswana and Botswana Postal Services have failed to honour repayment obligations running into hundreds of millions of pula, according to the latest report by Auditor General Keneilwe Senyarelo. …
… Speaking on Thursday during the Foot and Mouth Pitso, Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti revealed that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is now holding beef stock valued at no less than P202 million, which can no longer be exported to premium internation …
In the phase of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak and European Union Botswana beef suspension, the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has accelerated efforts to diversify its global export footprint and explore other markets in the interim. …
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.