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Measles Costs BMC Millions

BY AUBREY LUTE The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) loses P21 million annually because of beef measles. Farmers were urged to promote good animal welfare because it is the most efficient way of controlling measles. According to the BMC Production Manager, Mr Clive, the new Act on Small Abattoirs should also help curb the problem. Speaking at the launch of the BMC Handbook for Farmers, Clive said farmers should be aware that they lose a lot of money from selling cattle that are not properly taken care off. He said the European market, which buys most of Botswana’s beef, has set standards that are not only applicable to tee BMC, but also to the farmer. Clive said the handbook, which emphasizes quality and gives insights into BMC pricing, gives pointers on how to take care of cattle. He said the handling and health of animals is key to the final product that is sold to the various markets. On other issues, the BMC’s Production Manager said BMC was under –utilized, killing insufficient quantities to satisfy the market. He advised farmers to sell cattle while they can still bring the best returns, saying farmers should not wait until animals were too old because they will lose money. He gave a presentation on the different categories of cattle that are bought at the BMC. The Chairman of the BMC Board, Mr. Botsile Gubago, affirmed that the BMC abattoirs only utilize 55% of their capacity; 10% through put having measles and which cannot be exported. It was announced that the government is in search of land to be reserved for beef farming; after being secured it will be demarcated and allocated to serious commercial beef farmers, officials said. The Minister of Agriculture, Christian de Graaf, said the government was committed to developing agriculture generally, and promoting commercial agriculture in particular, to ensure economic diversification. The former President of Botswana, Sir Ketumile Masire, who was present at the event, commented that BMC should offer farmers more incentives. The BMC has introduced a number of strategies to boost the number cattle that are slaughtered at the Francistown and Lobatse abattoirs; these include providing transport for cattle from some areas, and satellite information offices.

 

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