The latest decision follows a series of extensions allowing local farmers to export live cattle to other countries, primarily South Africa, as the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has continued to face operational challenges. Live cattle sales were temporarily opened up from October 2020 as a way of giving farmers alternative income streams outside of the BMC, which was the sole institution statutorily allowed to export beef products in the country. Under the dispensation, farmers were allowed to export live cattle and export meat products. Initially, the live cattle sales dispensation was expected to run for four years and end in 2024. The Ministry of Agriculture announced that the initiative would end in December last year as authorities believed that the BMC had resurrected its operations and was ready to pay competitive prices to farmers.
Under the administration of former president Mokgweetsi Masisi, the government had decided to further extend the live cattle sales, while at the same time accelerating plans to liberalise the beef industry to boost its growth and vibrancy. Statistics Botswana figures indicate that the value of live cattle exports was P647 million in 2023. For the first three quarters of 2024, the value of live cattle exports stood at P405 million.
