Africa-Press – Botswana. Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is currently rebuilding the plant that produces ECCO corned beef. The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Mr Kabelo Ebineng told the Public Accounts Committee that the old plant was dilapidated, hence there was shortage in the supply of ECCO corned beef.
He said P230 million had been set aside for the refurbishment, and work was ongoing, with expectation being that in 12-15 months, ECCO corned beef would be back in the shelves. Mr Ebineng admitted that there had been under-investment in the past. He pointed that when production resumed, BMC would also be able to export the corned beef to Europe, given that there was a lot of demand there.
“Besides exporting it to Europe, let’s take the example of the SAMIM Mission in Mozambique two years ago. The army required a lot of meat, and that is where the meat could have gone,” he said.
Mr Ebineng explained that they were trying to develop other markets within Africa, where canned processed products or meat were required. He stated that the Norwegian market paid 40% for Botswana beef more than the European market. He however said there was a quota of supply, which was time specific, adding that it was of value to Botswana because the quota was opened during the period when the country’s cattle were in their best condition.
“It is the period after the rainy season, from February to June. So it is important that during that time we push as much as possible through Botswana Meat Commission and send it to that lucrative market,” he said.
He said it was important for local farmers to understand that they must have their cattle ready during the period from February in order to get the best possible prices.
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