government revoked the licences of all private abattoirs in the country and announced that its official beef dealer, CSC, was to monopolise the handling of beef for commercial purposes.
The ban saw virtually all butcheries in the country closing shop after cattle producers withdrew their beasts from private slaughter houses and shunning CSC, which wanted to buy cattle at give-away prices.
In a bid to avert the crisis, the government has hinted that it may soon allow Surrey Abattoirs, a major private slaughter-house it had shut down along with others to supply beef to the local market to complement CSC’s feeble efforts.
Speaking at the Zimbabwe Local Government conference last week, Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor, Dr Gideon Gono conceded that CSC lacked the capacity to carry the mammoth task of supplying the country with meat.
He pledged to make representations to the Cabinet Taskforce on Price Stabilisation to allow for the reopening of council abattoirs as relying on CSC alone would not work.
“If we wait for CSC on its own, we will be disappointed. CSC has no capacity. The truth has to be told”, he said.
While farmers are looking at fetching about Z$30 million per beast, government expects them to sell at $5million per beast, while insisting that meat products be sold at less than $120 000 per kg. – CAJ News
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