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Thursday, 22 October 2026
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Thursday, 22 October 2026
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Botswanan press · Event

Foot and Mouth Disease

Also known as: FMD · FMD restrictions

2026-04-232026-10-22
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News reports

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In coverage

Verbatim sentences from the source article.

  1. October 2026

  2. Daily News Botswana

    Private-sector support is strengthening the fight against Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), with four organisations donating supplies worth P77,377 to assist frontline personnel and reinforce disease control operations. …

    Private sector steps up support for FMD Fight

  3. Daily News Botswana

    Government has renewed the livestock export dispensation to help farmers recover from the economic effects of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak, which has disrupted livestock movement and trade since January this year. …

    Government renews livestock export dispensation

  4. The Botswana Gazette

    Botswana is negotiating new animal-health agreements that could reopen export outlets and ease pressure on livestock farmers hit by FMD restrictions. …

    Farmers Eye New Export Markets
  5. September 2026

  6. Weekend Post

    … Ongoing restrictions on livestock movement and slaughter due to Foot and Mouth disease could also drive short-term food inflation. …

    Inflation to stay elevated until mid-2027 before easing

  7. Daily News Botswana

    … Further, he applauded Kgosi Thabo Mathiba of Mmathethe and the community for playing a leading role in fighting the spread of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). …

    Dikoloti calls for proactiveness in service delivery
  8. August 2026

  9. Botswana 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

  10. Mmegi

    The beef companies, JS Beef (Pty) Ltd and Primefast (Pty) Ltd, are accusing authorities of strangling their businesses through prolonged Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) restrictions.At the centre of the dispute is a series of FMD control measures imposed since January this year. …

    BMC, gov’t dragged to court over FMD restrictions
  11. July 2026

  12. Daily News Botswana

    … sustainable employment opportunities within the agriculture sector that had set a target of 250 000 jobs by the year 2029. “Today’s milestone demonstrates the resilience of our agricultural sector despite confronting challenges in the meat industry such as Foot and Mouth Disease …

    Ross Breeders pioneers Botswana poultry exports

  13. Botswana Sunday Standard

    … Government also introduced the live-weight procurement model to improve price transparency and accelerate payments, particularly in Ngamiland, where cattle are marketed under the Commodity-Based Trade framework because of Foot and Mouth Disease restrictions. …

    Two-month BMC payment delays test Boko’s beef reforms

  14. Daily News Botswana

    … He said Botswana and South Africa worked closely together in fighting Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), travel and movement of people and goods. …

    Botswana and South Africa enjoy smoother ties
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

  1. 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

  1. Private sector donates supplies to support FMD control efforts

    Four private organisations donated supplies worth P77,377 to the Ministry of Lands and Agriculture to assist personnel and reinforce operations controlling Foot and Mouth Disease, with the Acting Minister emphasizing that the disease threatens livestock production, trade, employment and farming livelihoods.

    19 October 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

  2. 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 →

Thursday 8 October

  1. Botswana negotiates animal-health deals to reopen livestock exports

    Botswana is negotiating animal-health agreements with several countries to widen market access for livestock and animal products, offering relief to farmers whose sales options have been constrained by FMD restrictions.

    8 October 2026 · The Botswana Gazette →

Monday 14 September

  1. Bank of Botswana forecasts inflation easing by mid-2027

    The Bank of Botswana projects inflation will remain above its 3–6 percent target range through the first quarter of 2027 before returning to within the band by mid-2027, driven mainly by fuel and electricity cost pressures. Inflation surged to 10.57 percent in Q2 2026 due to fuel prices, transport fares, and medical premiums, and is expected to average 7.9 percent for 2026 overall.

    14 September 2026 · Weekend Post →

Wednesday 2 September

  1. MP Dikoloti urges civil servants for faster service delivery

    Good Hope/Mmathethe MP Dr Edwin Dikoloti has challenged civil servants to be more responsive and proactive, saying issues raised at kgotla meetings should be addressed urgently. He cited complaints about poor school infrastructure, lack of water, and road delays, calling on all involved to seek solutions at local authority level.

    2 September 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Sunday 30 August

  1. 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 3 August

  1. Beef firms sue over FMD restrictions blocking cattle marketing

    Two beef companies, JS Beef (Pty) Ltd and Primefast (Pty) Ltd, have taken authorities to court, arguing that Foot and Mouth Disease control measures imposed since January have restricted their ability to market cattle and threaten their business viability.

    3 August 2026 · Mmegi →

Tuesday 28 July

  1. Ross Breeders exports first Botswana poultry shipment to Mozambique

    Ross Breeders has become the first poultry exporter in Botswana, dispatching 90,000 hatching eggs to Mozambique as part of a planned weekly export programme. Agriculture Minister Dr Edwin Dikoloti said the milestone demonstrates regional confidence in Botswana's poultry sector and aligns with the government's agricultural commercialisation strategy.

    28 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tuesday 7 July

  1. 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 →

Thursday 2 July

  1. Botswana and South Africa maintain smooth diplomatic relations

    President Duma Boko said Botswana and South Africa enjoy smooth relations with emerging issues resolved efficiently through close collaboration, during a farewell courtesy call by outgoing South African High Commissioner Ms Thaninga Shope-Soumah. He highlighted cooperation on Foot and Mouth Disease, travel and movement of people and goods, and engagement through the Bi-National Commission, Southern African Customs Union, and Southern African Development Community.

    2 July 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 29 June

  1. FMD outbreak prompts review of agriculture financing strategy

    Botswana's agriculture minister says the country must reassess its financing approach after years of substantial public investment have not consistently delivered expected production, productivity and profitability gains. The FMD outbreak has prompted a defining moment to evaluate whether agriculture financing has achieved necessary transformational outcomes, despite government support through subsidies, grants, infrastructure programmes and other interventions.

    29 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Wednesday 17 June

  1. Ministry directs assessment of FMD-affected farmers and livestock households

    The Ministry of Local Government and Traditional Affairs has instructed District Councils in Foot and Mouth Disease affected areas to assess and register farming communities and livestock-dependent households impacted by the outbreak. The exercise aims to establish the scale of impact and build a database to guide government decisions on relief and support interventions.

    17 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Wednesday 10 June

  1. 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

  1. 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

  1. SADC urges coordinated action on food security and climate resilience

    SADC Deputy Executive Secretary Angèle Makombo N'Tumba called for urgent regional action to strengthen food security and agricultural systems amid global supply chain disruptions, climate change, and livestock diseases. She warned that Middle East conflicts have restricted agricultural input and petroleum product movements, while extreme weather threatens food and energy security across the region.

    2 June 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 1 June

  1. 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 →

  2. Foot and Mouth Disease detected in Botswana for first time in decades

    Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) was detected on April 2 at the Ramatlabama National Artificial Insemination Laboratory, marking the first confirmed case in the border village of Mokatako in living memory. The detection has brought hardship to communal cattle farmers in southern districts who had expected to benefit from recent summer rains.

    1 June 2026 · Mmegi →

Thursday 28 May

  1. FMD outbreak threatens beef exports; UB seeks tech solutions

    Foot and mouth disease detected in Botswana in January 2025 has led to suspension of beef export authorizations by the European Union, and the nation's loss of FMD-free status. The University of Botswana is described as developing a "quieter revolution" in response to the crisis, though specific details are cut off in the provided excerpt.

    28 May 2026 · Weekend Post →

  2. 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

  1. 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 →

Thursday 21 May

  1. Regional cooperation needed to fight Southern Africa FMD crisis

    A Botswana minister said stronger regional cooperation is needed to combat an escalating Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak in Southern Africa that has disrupted livestock trade and threatened livelihoods, highlighting the failure of isolated national responses to the transboundary disease.

    21 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Monday 4 May

  1. FMD outbreak threatens beef exports and household livelihoods

    Botswana is battling a serious Foot and Mouth Disease outbreak that has spread across several parts of the country, impacting beef exports and causing loss of access to the European Union market under the SADC–EU partnership agreement. The Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture says many households depend on cattle for income and food, and government is now working with private sector and faith-based organisations to develop a recovery plan.

    4 May 2026 · Daily News Botswana →

Tuesday 28 April

  1. Inflation forecast to exceed 6% by June 2026

    Inflation averaged 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 2.7 percent in Q1 2025, driven by rising transport, food, and miscellaneous goods costs, with transport contributing 1.6 percentage points to the annual rate.

    28 April 2026 · Weekend Post →

Saturday 25 April

  1. 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 →

Thursday 23 April

  1. Parliament calls for urgent overhaul of FMD livestock zones

    Parliament has called on government to urgently review and re-demarcate livestock zones as pressure mounts from recurring Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks.

    23 April 2026 · Botswana Sunday Standard →

Foot and Mouth Disease — Botswanan press coverage · Botswana Minute