Breeding Cattle Beefing Up Botswana's Exports

Working with the US Department of Foreign Agricultural Service based in Pretoria and other international bodies, the government of Botswana is trying to regain lost beef export volumes.At present its biggest market is Norway.Pierre du Plessis from the University of Oslo says Botswana and Namibia have a duty-free quota of 2 700 tons of boneless beef exports to Norway this year.Despite the demand for grass-fed beef, there has been a decline in the national herd from an estimated 2.2 million head in 2004 to 1.7m.The development of a modern cattle farming and slaughter industry (and the corresponding development of a market for US feedstocks, ingredients, and technology) is limited by the governments monopoly on meat processing plants, exports, livestock prices as well as outbreaks of foot and mouth disease, especially in the north-eastern part of the country, according to the department. In May 2023, the government of Botswana received a consignment of 162 breeding cattle from the United States which will be used to improve the local genetics. In addition, a R256m multi-species abattoir is expected to be commissioned this year still, according to Fidelis Molao, Botswana's minister of agriculture. The abattoir is operated by the Botswana Meat Commission.