… Since the first detection of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in April 2026 at the Ramatlabama Artificial Insemination and Training Centre, the outbreak has spiraled rapidly, with 159 confirmed cases spreading across the Good Hope district to cattle handling facilities and feedlots n …
The Ngwaketse landboard must forge its legacy during the current Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis by prioritising biosecurity, protecting veterinary buffer zones and slashing land allocation turnaround times to 48 hours. …
There is need for stronger regional cooperation in order to combat the escalating Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) crisis affecting the Southern Africa region. …
Botswana is currently battling a serious outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) that has spread across several parts of the country, placing pressure on the economy and livelihoods, says the Acting Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Dr Edwin Dikoloti. …
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. …
… roves urgent overhaul of FMD zones Parliament has turned up the heat on government to overhaul Botswana’s veterinary disease control framework, calling for an urgent review and re-demarcation of livestock zones as pressure mounts from recurring outbreaks of Foot and Mouth Disease …
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Parliament has called on government to urgently review and re-demarcate livestock zones as pressure mounts from recurring Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks.