18 Jun 2019

Two private abattoirs in the North West region, Batawana Beef and Ngamiland abattoirs have been recognised as export abattoirs since the beginning of June this year.

Both abattoirs together with Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) in Maun, would be under the supervision of the Meat Hygiene Division in an effort to improve their compliance to sanitary requirements on animal health, animal welfare and food safety legislation, including export and slaughter levy acts to ensure their readiness for international and trading partners.

The North West District council chairman, Mr Duncan Enga, recently informed councillors that the development was also meant for proper inspection in the future to ensure practices of good hygienic beef production and many others.

When updating them about the beef production and export status in the district, Mr Enga revealed that a total of 7662 cattle were slaughtered at the two private abattoirs and meat quantities were sold as follows; Kasane 147.4 tonnes and Democratic Republic of Congo 173.8 tonnes.

He also stated that since January this year, Maun BMC has slaughtered a total of 2 935 animals, 227of whose carcasses were detained for measles and one was condemned.

He said 541 animals came from Sefhophe quarantine in Zone 7 of which 40 carcasses were detained for measles, while 322 animals were from the green zone, Zone 3b and 32 carcasses were treated for measles.

“We had a total of 1627 animals for direct slaughter coming from zones 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d and 2e of which 124 carcasses were detained for measles, while 402 animals were from Makalamabedi quarantine and 40 carcasses were detained for measles,” he added.

Mr Enga revealed that the Makalamabedi quarantined animals had the highest measles prevalence at 9.95 per cent, which is higher than the national wish target of less than 8 per cent prevalence.

The overall measles prevalence, he said was 7.77 per cent. The chairman also revealed that a total of 114051kg of meat had been sold to Gaborone, Letlhakane and Kasane, while 67310kg went to Mozambique. He appreciated that slowly, the farmers were buying into the quarantining process, as more and more of them were pledging their animals.

So far, he said more than 3000 cattle had been pledged for quarantine in Ngamiland.

On other issues, the chairman revealed that P8 million had been allocated to the district for the Youth Development Fund (YDF) this financial year, though a call for submission has not been announced since the relevant ministry is reported to be working on new guidelines to incorporate pronouncements made during state of the national address (SONA). He said the call for submission would be made once the guidelines are complete and urged political leaders to encourage young people to start preparations to benefit from the YDF programme.

To reach more youth, he said the district Youth Office embarked on YDF sensitisation orientations, which covered a number of villages in the region and were attended by a total of 755 youth.

Mr Enga said that training was also organised for the youth in Gumare and Shakawe to address issues of duplication of ideas, especially in the Okavango district.

He expressed the hope that aspiring youth entrepreneurs would come up with innovative ideas this financial year and going forward. ENDs