… 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. …
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.
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.
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.
Two feedlot companies have withdrawn their court action against the Botswana Meat Commission and now seek to sue the Director of Veterinary Services, the Minister of Lands and Agriculture, the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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.