14 Jun 2016

Maun West legislator also Kgosi Tawana Moremi has welcomed the new  Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) Maun abattoir’s new prices.

 However, the MP said he would further challenge the prices in Parliament since they were not at par with the Lobatse and Francitown abattoirs. He was addressing a Kgotla meeting at Maun main Kgotla on Monday. Maun BMC has recently increased carcasses prices from P14 to P19 per kg. Before the changes the carcass graded at Prime attracted P19 per kg; Super at P16/kg; Grade 1 at P14/kg; Grade 2 at P14.25/kg; Grade 3 at P7.15/kg; and Grade 4 at P6.25 but with effect from May 1, all grades are bought at a standardised price of P19.50/kg.

 However MP Moremi queried the prizes are lower than the P24 per kg offered by Lobatse abattoir.

On other issues, Mr Moremi said the new programme of FMD free compartmentalization by Veterinary; a double fencing of farms to control Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) was hope for Ngamiland farmers.

He noted that young people who had interest in cattle farming currently failed to get assistance from National Development Bank (NDB) and Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA) who have suspended funding cattle projects due to FMD outbreaks.

Pertaining to the Lake Ngami fishing suspension, Mr Moremi said there was need to have put in place ablutions and waste bins to address the issues of environmental woes as early as possible by the relevant organs.

However, Mr Moremi said some of the proposed regulations by the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (DWNP) were welcome such that they would prevent influx of people and control the amount of fish caught.

Further, Kgosi Moremi said he was against torture of people involved in illegal fishing at Lake Ngami as some reports have said. He however said the DWNP director Major General Otisetswe Tiroyamodimo has denied the allegations. ENDS