30 Apr 2014

A Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) official has encouraged farmers in Kweneng District to register their feedinglots and sell cattle of acceptable standards to the abbattoir.

Addressing farmers in Molepolole recently, Botswana Meat Commission CEO, Dr Akolang Tombale said registering the feed lots was important to both the farmers and the meat commission.

He said putting cattle in the feeding lots helped them become ready for European market as they would be feeding on recommended food thereby avoiding common diseases such as measles that were contracted through feeding on human waste.

He said the movement of cattle in the communal areas increased chances of them getting infected with measles and that the BMC would not buy any meat which had an infection of measles.

Dr Tombale expressed concerns that of the 43 feeding lots in the Kweneng District, only five were registered, that is, those at Gabane and Letlhakeng.

Responding to concerns that the BMC was up for sale, Dr Tombale dismissed the matter and assured the farmers that the organisation was not for sale.

He added that the BMC was doing well financially. He said he was hoping for greater improvements. Performance improved by 43 per cent between 2012 and 2014.

He pleaded with farmers to bring as many cattle as they could to the BMC so that it could reach its target of slaughtering more than 2000 cattle per day and supply 15 tons of meat to Europe.

Farmers who sell more than 50 cattle would be helped with free transport by the BMC. He advised farmers who sell less than 50m cattle to share transport costs.

He said five per cent of the cattle reaching the BMC were found to have two boluses. Such cattle were condemned. Farmers in western Kweneng complained that they were given one day to deliver their cattle to the BMC but were usually not able to meet the deadline. Ends