Eleven cases of FMD disease have been confirmed in Impala and Greater Kudu species in the Francistown region, according to reports from the World Organisation for Animal Health.

Read More...

A trend of bad corporate governance characterised by corruption, mismanagement, non-accountability and unethical practices in state owned corporations is disconcerting.

Read More...

The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has been dominating news headlines in the past few weeks.

Read More...

ZIMBABWE and Botswana yesterday finally signed the agreement to start operating the 500 million pula (US$64,3 million) lines of credit to help revive distressed manufacturing firms and agriculture.

Read More...

Banks see need for investments in Botswana pig industry.

Read More...

From far away United Kingdom came to me the other day a prompt, stern reaction from Vernon Gibberd to a statement made by the Botswana Society in its publicity notice for its recent public forum on water - many will remember Vernon from his many years here.

Read More...

Farmers say they have neither been consulted nor informed about the purpose of the levy, which the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) has hiked from P20 to P30 per beast (cattle) slaughtered, with effect from July 1, 2012.

Read More...

Botswana's veterinary authorities have reported an outbreak of foot and mouth disease at a farm in Maun, affecting cattle and sheep/goats.

Read More...

Dr Kefentse Motshegwa, a Deputy Director at the Department of Veterinary Services explained that African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious and fatal viral disease of pigs that is transmitted from infected animals to others and by fresh pig products. Wild pigs including warthogs carry the virus and it is easily transmitted to domestic transmitted to domestic pigs from the wild by soft ticks.

Read More...

group of farmers from the Tonota region have notified government of their intention to sue over the slaughter of their cattle during the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in August this year.

Read More...

Botswana is in talks about exporting cattle to Angola after the European Union banned imports of Botswanan beef, the Ministry of Agriculture said.

Read More...

News that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is on the verge of securing a deal for export of live cattle from Ngamiland to Angola comes as a ray of hope in a year of sector-wide distress and upheaval. From the suspension of exports to the European Union, the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the north and perennial challenges such as technical shortcomings at abattoirs and other infrastructure, 2011 has been a nightmare for cattle farmers.

Read More...

Young breeders showcase their 45 top bred bulls

Read More...

News that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is on the verge of securing a deal for export of live cattle from Ngamiland to Angola comes as a ray of hope in a year of sector-wide distress and upheaval. From the suspension of exports to the European Union, the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the north and perennial challenges such as technical shortcomings at abattoirs and other infrastructure, 2011 has been a nightmare for cattle farmers.

Read More...

About 30 farmers left the high court sitting at the Lobatse magistrates court disgruntled after Judge Lot Moroka dismissed their application to stop the selling or killing of their cattle.

Read More...

News that the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is on the verge of securing a deal for export of live cattle from Ngamiland to Angola comes as a ray of hope in a year of sector-wide distress and upheaval. From the suspension of exports to the European Union, the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the north and perennial challenges such as technical shortcomings at abattoirs and other infrastructure, 2011 has been a nightmare for cattle farmers.

Read More...

An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Botswana has forced the country's government to export more than 20,000 head of cattle from infected zones to Zimbabwe for direct slaughter and to donate 600,000 doses to vaccinate the Zimbabwean herd, it has been learnt.

Read More...

Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in Botswana has boosted chicken and poultry sales as buyers shy away from beef.

Read More...

An outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Botswana has forced the country's government to export more than 20,000 head of cattle from infected zones to Zimbabwe for direct slaughter and to donate 600,000 doses to vaccinate the Zimbabwean herd, it has been learnt.

Read More...

The country's veterinary authorities have reported yet another outbreak of foot and mouth disease at a village in Francistown, the country's second largest city, where cattle were reportedly affected.

Read More...

The suspected outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in northeastern Botswana has compounded further the troubles bedevilling the cattle and beef industries in the Southern African beef exporter.

Read More...

The country's veterinary authorities have reported yet another outbreak of foot and mouth disease at a village in Francistown, the country's second largest city, where cattle were reportedly affected.

Read More...

Botswana plans to slaughter about 10,000 cattle to curb an outbreak of foot and mouth disease, Mmegi reported, citing Agriculture Minister Christian de Graaf.

Read More...

The Botswana Department of Veterinary Services (BDVS) has announced a suspected outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Francistown region of the country.

Read More...

A number of cases of sick animals have so far been reported showing feet and oral lesions normally associated with the disease in a herd of around three hundred cattle. Collection of samples for laboratory testing at the Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI) is ongoing.

Read More...

A leading member of the Botswana National Front (BNF), Maemo Bantsi has lambasted the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) for neglecting agriculture, which contributed 40 percent to GDP before the discovery of diamonds.

Read More...

The Botswana Meat Commission today announced that all supply of beef to the European market has been temporarily suspended. This follows the recent mission to Botswana of the EU’s Veterinary Service.

Read More...

The Botswana Meat Commission announced that all supply of beef to the European market has been temporarily suspended. This follows the recent mission to Botswana of the EU’s Veterinary Service. The mission identified the need to review and restructure the current livestock traceability system used in Botswana. The current system, based on the use of Electronic Identification (EID bolus) was introduced some years ago and was designed to track the movement of cattle through the supply chain. However, with many cattle allowed to roam freely across the country’s vast tracks of savannah and veldt that typifies the Botswana countryside, a number of improvements have been determined necessary. Notwithstanding, most of Botswana’s beef exported to the EU comes from feedlots and fenced farms and the two veterinary authorities appear confident that the issue will be readily resolved.

Read More...

Beef exports from Botswana to the EU have been temporarily suspended as a pre-emptive measure taken after a series of deficiencies were identified during a recent EU technical visit (Agra Europe).

Read More...

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received an immediate notification yesterday, 8 March. The outbreak is reportedly within a fenced subzone in Ngamiland district, an FMD vaccination zone. Livestock in the area are farmed under a communal grazing system. Only cattle showed clinical signs of FMD.

Read More...

The Botswana Meat Commission's (BMC) revelations that it slaughtered a record number of cattle last year is an indicator of the success that farming can be when properly nurtured.

Read More...

The Botswana Meat Commission has recently announced that two abattoir and processing facilities in Botswana will be subject to temporary closure by the national Veterinary Authority over the next few weeks. While this is expected to result in some disruption to supply, customers are urged to continue to place orders for 2011.

Read More...

The World Organisation for Animal Health received follow-up report no.3 yesterday, 14 September.

Read More...

Back in June, there was an outbreak of Rift Valley Fever in Botswana's goat, sheep and cattle populations.

Read More...

As part of Meat Management's beef edition, we took a trip to Allied Meat Importers and found a business which not only has a focus on supplying quality beef from Botswan, but is prepared to try its hand at other things as well.

Read More...

The World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) received an immediate notification on Friday, 6 August. According to the report, the outbreak was confirmed on 3 August in Kasane.

Read More...

Currently, the country is one of the big exporters of quality beef although trends show that the pig meat has been the world’s choice since 1976.

Read More...

In 2006, a landmark report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that livestock production contributes 18 percent to global carbon dioxide emissions — more than automobiles. Since then, meat production has been insistently and ringingly hammered, and the message has been loud and clear: eat less meat to cut your carbon footprint, slow deforestation and keep healthier.

Read More...

In 2006, a landmark report by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) found that livestock production contributes 18 percent to global carbon dioxide emissions — more than automobiles. Since then, meat production has been insistently and ringingly hammered, and the message has been loud and clear: eat less meat to cut your carbon footprint, slow deforestation and keep healthier.

Read More...

Although Botswana Meat Commission has been through a lot of adversities relating to the farmers failing to meet its demand on the thorough put of cattle last week, the organization held competitions and an education campaign event in Francistown as a way of sensitizing farmers on the importance of adding value to cattle farming and further increase a number of cattle sold to BMC. The General Manager of the Livestock Procu

Read More...

• Consolation prizes every month • A grand prize of 20 heifers and a bull Starting from January 31st till March, Botswana’s farming community will be offered an opportunity to own farming equipment courtesy of Botswana Meat Commission’s (BMC) Kgomo Ke Khumo Promotion

Read More...

The Ministry of Agriculture has said plans are afoot to streamline the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) in what the Agriculture Hub Coordinator has called ‘restructuring’ of the business

Read More...

The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) abattoir in Maun is to be re-opened next year in spite of the prevalence of foot and mouth disease in Ngamiland

Read More...

The Competition Bill, that seeks to regulate competition between firms operating in the market place as well as providing for the prevention of anti-competitive practices in the market has been described as long over-due by MPs. Debating the bill in Parliament

Read More...

Botswana's agriculture ministry has the well-qualified personnel yet its performance is low when compared to other ministries, according to a government source. Addressing ministerial staff in Mochudi recently, Assistant Minister of Agriculture, Oreeditse Molebatsi, said effective performance

Read More...

Botswana Meat Workers Industry Union (BMIWU) has ultimately split over unresolved issues that have dogged union leaders for some time. The union that has been struggling with factions for years has now split, with some employees of the Francistown Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) going one way and the Lobatse BMC the other way. The man who is leading

Read More...

Some senior government officials have found themselves caught up in a game of big shots in the lucrative poultry industry in a case that was probably going to reveal top secrets and fall-out between big guys Peter Kirby of Richmark Poultry and

Read More...

Government has finally responded to calls for the empowerment of citizen entrepreneurs as it will soon bypass the tendering process and procure from local companies provided their prices are competitive. In his State of

Read More...

Arising from a recent survey on meat handling facilities and enterprises across the country, National Food Technology Resource Centre (NFTRC) will conduct a national meat workshop on November 17 and 18.

Read More...

Things have been tough in Botswana for farmers and the meat industry in the last two years, with drought and FMD. The Botswana National Food Technology Research Centre (NFTRC) is to host a two-day National Meat Workshop from the 17-18 November. The workshop targets everyone interested in meat production, processing and marketing in the country includ

Read More...

Local meat producers are obliged to improve their hygiene standards in order to compete in the international market. Even if their main focus is to sell locally, they are still obliged to raise their standards because meat is highly perishable and easily contaminated, said Dr Edward Dintwa, a food engineer at the NFTRC. Dr Dintwa als

Read More...

- No more cattle will be slaughtered at Selebi-Phikwe Council abattoir. The decision by the Town Council has left meat dealers in the mining town up in arms. The Council has decided to close the abattoir after it found that a large number of animals over the last two weeks had being found infected with

Read More...

No more cattle will be slaughtered at Selebi-Phikwe Council abattoir. The decision by the Town Council has left meat dealers in the mining town up in arms. The Council has

Read More...

The Botswana government has come out in full support of its agricultural sector, with politicians braving the cold weather to attend the annual Ghanzi District Agricultural Show. Unlike in South Africa where politicians seldom attend agricultural events, Botswana’s high-profile politicians appeared in their numbers. The Ghanzi Show is the second

Read More...

Trade and Industry Minister, Neo Moroka has revealed that Botswana's beef is in such high demand in Europe that supply is inadequate. He said there is need for Botswana to improve its beef production to take advantage of this opportunity, which implies high prices for beef exports.

Read More...