“We expect that the Bill will be discussed at the next session of Parliament. We believe the creation of the MIRA will provide the necessary regulatory infrastructure that allows the beef market industry to be properly regulated and liberalised,” she said. Currently, the agricultural ministry is said to have started putting in place measures to develop the terms of reference for people who will be running the authority in readiness. “We cannot employ people until the Act has been passed and we are able to create the positions with the necessary authority of the law. We are hoping that the Bill will be discussed in the July session of Parliament,” she said.
The MIRA aims to allow full participation of all key value chain players in the running of the beef industry and the development of the necessary linkages that will have the net effect of giving the farmer a voice. As part of liberalising the beef sector, in October 2020, government allowed farmers to export live cattle independent of the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission (BMC).
The live cattle dispensation will run for four years and end in 2024. “The dispensation was put in place following an outcry from farmers that BMC takes a longer time to process payments and we needed a solution. This was never meant to be a permanent feature but a temporary facility that allows Batswana to be able to sell cattle,” she said. At the moment, BMC performs the role of being the one to approve when people can export beef.
