BOTSWANA
BOTWANA NATIONAL BEEF COMMISSION.
The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) which controls all of the countries cattle, is having supply problems.The main beef plants at Lobatse is one of the finest beef plants in the world, with a capacity for 1500 cattle per day, complete with tannery and by products plant.
When the commission was founded in 1967,all the beef was marketed through the Hurvitz Group in South Africa, South Africa was at that time a large beef exporting country.
In 1974 the marketing was taken over by Meade Lonsdale of England and the world famous Echo Brand was started.
Botswana built a fine reputation for beef, in both quality and grading with the different grades identified by different colored vacuum packed bags. Last years cattle slaughtered in the country , only averaged 200 kilo carcass weight because of the severe droughts in recent years, making the far to small for primal cuts.
The plant at Lobatse was only killing 650 per day around one third of capacity and the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the region, closed the markets in Europe.
Botswana’s main market today is South Africa and Angola, however they have had delegations from Cuba and Venezuela looking to buy beef in recent months.
Doctor Motshudi Raborokgwe. the CEO of the commission is confident that within two years, weather permitting they will be able to resume exports into Europe.
