BOKO WARNS BOTSWANA COULD BE FORCED TO IMPORT BEEF DUE TO DECLINING CATTLE NUMBERS.

Article By: Gilbert Manenye

President Duma Gideon Boko has warned that the country may be forced to import beef within three years if urgent action is not taken to reverse the steep decline in cattle numbers.

Speaking at the launch of the Bonno Housing Programme in Palapye, President Boko said Botswana’s national beef cattle herd has dropped to 1.1 million, down from the estimated 3 million in previous years.

President Boko declared that this is a crisis that has to be addressed as quickly as possible.

He said he has convened experts to craft an emergency intervention, pledging to unveil a national recovery plan aimed at raising the herd count to 5 million.

His remarks come after the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission signed a 4 million US Dollars beef export agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Previously speaking to Gabz FM News, BMC had reported that the export deal is part of a wider drive to generate over 1 billion pula in export revenue by targeting new markets in SADC and West Africa.