BMC TO PAY MORE FOR CATTLE

Minister of Agriculture Development and Food Security, Karabo Gare told parliament that Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) will soon increase beef buying prices to about P30 per kg per carcass in the next three months.

The newly appointed Minister said the low price of P12 per kg on cattle is just a symptom that there is a structural problem in the beef industry. “We need to fix a lot of things in the beef industry from the low end,” said Gare.

He was responding to the Member of Parliament for Ghanzi North, John Thiite who requested that parliament should resolve that government intervenes to regulate the beef industry by increasing the weaner price from P12 to P19 per kilogram in order to make it competitive to the regional industry export price parity, which is currently at P23.

The minister said although government could not regulate the prices they have however taken a decision to review beef prices and considering increasing them. The process is expected to complete in the next three month. “We do acknowledge that farmers are under stress because the prices are far below the market and it is not profitable. We hope that by November we will have a concrete solution to all these structural problems.We hope the price will range between P30 to P35.”

Considering the quality of Botswana beef, Gare suggested that the price is supposed to range from P35 and P50. He said they are currently planning to set up the meat industry regulator, which will regulate the sales of all meat products including the imports and exports as well as quality assurance.