High demand for Botswana beef in Europe

BAME PIET
Staff Writer | Friday June 12, 2009 00:00

 

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.

Minister Moroka was briefing members of the press yesterday evening in the company of his assistant Duke Lefhoko, permanent secretary Barney Molosiwa and other officials. He said that this is an opportunity for Botswana to diversify the economy and reduce its reliance on diamonds.

He said that Botswana, Lesotho, and Swaziland have signed an Interim Economic Partnership with Europe for their goods to access European markets with reasonable tariffs.  This was done towards the 2000 Cotonou Agreement that ended on 31 December 2007.  'The IEPA was recently signed between European Union (EU) and Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland on the 4th June 2009 in Brussels,' he said. He added that Mozambique was ready to sign but their trade minister was unable to travel to Brussels.

'Arrangements are under way for them to sign.  The other members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) - EPA group - Angola, Namibia and South Africa did not sign.  They had raised some concerns on the IEPA.  They want those concerns resolved before they can sign any deal,' he said.

Moroka assured that the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) would not be threatened by the three countries' decision not to sign the accord. He said that they took that stance after making thorough analysis of the costs and benefits presented by the IEPA and subsequently the EPA. He said no country could make trading in the SADC region difficult because 'there is a provision in the SACU Agreement on what to do in such situations'.

Moroka further revealed that government is committed to empowering the private sector during the National Development Plan 10 (NDP 10), which was scheduled to start this year.  However, because of the global financial crisis it had to be shelved. The minister said that even the textile industry has a chance to benefit from the European lucrative market. He said that there are more benefits in trading with the EU than disadvantages.
The only disadvantage, he said, that could emerge was that the Pula might gain strength against the major currencies, thus making trade less profitable.