A FRESH cattle supply deal between perennial underperformer Cold Storage Company (CSC) and the Botswana Meat Commission expected to kick-start this month hangs in the balance amid reports that thousands of cattle have succumbed to drought in Botswana.
Report By NQOBILE BHEBHE SENIOR REPORTER
According to the official Botswana Press Agency, drought claimed between 10 000-15 000 cattle in the north-western part of the country last year.
Before the signing of the deal, Botswana used to export its beef to the European Union (EU) which consumed 75% of its beef.
However, in 2011 the EU market banned imports of beef from Botswana following the latter’s failure to meet the EU’s stringent hygiene standards.
Botswana has aggressively identified markets for its beef and cattle since suspension of exports to EU, including neighbouring countries such as Zimbabwe, to ease pressure on grazing as well as stimulate the economy.
Although CSC chief executive Ngoni Chinogaramombe was yesterday quoted saying the parastatal had inked a two-year deal starting this week, sources told NewsDay the deal was bound to collapse due to “operational issues”.
“Management is well aware of dwindling cattle in Botswana and how that would be sustained for two years is a mystery,” said a CSC official who declined to be named.
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“We don’t expect the arrangement to last the mile . . . In fact, the previous deal still has unresolved issues.”
In July last year, Botswana and Zimbabwe signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in which close to 30 000 cattle from Botswana from the neighbouring country’s foot-and-mouth disease infested zones came to Zimbabwe for direct slaughter at the CSC abattoirs in Bulawayo.
However, the Botswana government decided to stop trading with Zimbabwe after the CSC failed to honour its side of the deal, remitting 60% of the income gained from meat sales.
The MoU — which was a first of its kind in the Sadc region — had been expected to enhance improved livestock productivity in the two countries.
The agreement was also said to be in line with the Sadc common agenda of fostering regional integration and economic development.
Chinogaramombe could not be reached for comment over the latest development yesterday.
