07 Apr 2024

Government is in the process of building a state-of-the-art value additional plant at the Lobatse Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) at a cost of P230 million this financial year.

President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi revealed this during the Ngamiland Farmers Field Day at Mawana Twin Farm in the outskirts of Nokaneng in the Okavango District. 

He noted that such a progressive attainment, together with Commodity Based Trade, would ensure that pastoralism in Ngamiland improved and was incentivised to a level of attracting 'moswang' (bonus payment) during his tenure as the President.

The development, he said, was the Reset Agenda in action, noting that he had also challenged the Minister of Entrepreneurship to ensure that ECCO brand was patented, more so that BMC had been using the harvest of slaughter from the Maun abattoir to produce the most sought-after ECCO canned products.

“We want BMC to invest outside, hence the plans to upgrade the plant to meet the international standard and supply more products as per demand,” he added.

President Masisi further noted that Botswana had two million cattle as compared to other countries such as Kenya with 20 million, but that Botswana was acknowledged to have the best and tasty meat in the world because the cattle industry used free range and natural farming methods, which would ensure full flavoured, lean beef of highest quality.

As such, he said BMC had been exporting chilled vacuum-packed beef together with frozen beef and now the commission wanted the plant to embrace value chain development, thus boosting products and returns to benefit the farming community.

He noted that cattle in the Ngamiland had all the hallmarks of being branded or labelled 100 per cent natural and organic because they passed through a rigorous quality assurance process, which President Masisi said was a beneficial consideration that should differentiate Ngami cattle from the rest in line with the relevant national cluster strategy.

“We need to do more as a country to embrace this husbandry and production system and market our beef as a distinct organic product. I am gratified to have an opportunity to be one of those planting and nurturing the richly valuable seed of mindset change. It encapsulates and embraces our ideals of food security, yoked with sustainable management of the environment,” he said. He challenged the gathering to leave the event having thoroughly expanded on the endless value chain possibilities, which he said all should inclusively partake in.

The symbiotic compatibility of agriculture and tourism in the region, he said, should be packaged as the region's comparative advantage.

President Masisi also appreciated that BMC, which sponsored the event, would construct two dip-tanks within a strategic area of the North West region to benefit the farming community. The dip-tanks, he said, were a response to the disease endemic profile of Ngamiland. He also acknowledged that the farming community in the region was the most resilient, citing the fact that they conquered in farming despite the hardships they faced. He encouraged them to take advantage of government initiatives and venture into other agricultural projects such as dairy and fodder processing.

President Masisi also underscored the need to invest in research and development for Botswana to identify new opportunities and solutions that aligned with the vision of sustainable agriculture.

The private sector, he said, must therefore play an active role in driving change and growth in agricultural development, emphasising the importance of training and capacity development. Earlier on, Kgosi Kebonyetsala Fish of Nokaneng appreciated the government's commitment and dedication towards promoting the agricultural sector to attain food security. He said traditionally, agriculture was the mainstay of Botswana economy. 

He also appreciated the revival of Nokaneng Artificial Insemination Centre, saying it would benefit the farming community by improving the breed quality.

Kgosi Fish said the community would be inspired to embrace the spirit of self-help and revive some traditional systems such as mafisa, which helped to reduce the level of poverty in the country. He called on the government to consider putting up an electric fence around the Nokaneng quarantine camp to protect it from continuous damages caused by marauding elephants.

“This facility has the potential to boost the cattle industry as farmers are now motivated to bring their animals for artificial insemination to improve their herds,” he added. ENDS