01 Feb 2017

The Minister of Agricultural Development and Food Security, Mr Patrick Ralotsia, says government has come up with a resolution to privatise Lobatse abattoir with its shares being split between government and private sector.

Addressing stakeholders at a consultative meeting on the future of BMC on Tuesday, Mr Ralotsia said of recent some people opined that BMC should be shut down because it was making loss.

He highlighted that he briefed Cabinet on the current situation at BMC to find solutions to BMC’s poor performance.

The minister stated that a directive was issued by Cabinet outlining resolutions following discussions to solve BMC situation.

Mr Ralotsia said one of the resolutions was that Maun abattoir be kept as a government entity, as an insurance for Batswana that government would keep buying from them.

He said that it was also noted that an expression of interest would be issued out for the Francistown abattoir.

He further indicated that the expectation was that Lobatse abattoir should slaughter 650 animals a day, Francistown 380 a day and Maun 120 a day.

However, the minister said, this expectation had not been realised except in Maun in few occasions.

Mr Ralotsia stated that the Francistown plant with its infrastructure designed to slaughter over 300 animals a day could only do 70.

He said government’s decision to keep the Maun abattoir was meant to sustain the industry so that it does not collapse.

Mr Ralotsia said they agreed that the little that Lobatse benefited would be distributed to the other two abattoirs but was proving to be unsustainable due to the current financial situation.

The minister stated that they had engaged with Botswana National Beef Producers Union to discuss and map a way forward on what could be done so that the industry does not collapse.  BOPA