Zimbabwe and Botswana signed a deal in 2011 for the supply of 20,000 cattle to the cash-strapped CSC. Exports were stopped last year when CSC reportedly failed to pay BMC more than Pula2 million outstanding. According to the Botswana Mmegi newspaper, a new deal has been finalised and exports will resume in February.
The Botswana permanent secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture, Micus Chimbombi, confirmed the deal during a meeting in Ngamiland with beef ranchers. He said the new deal would reduce overstocking as most Botswana farmers have been unable to sell their animals due to the foot-and-mouth disease.
BMC, which exports beef to the European Union, does not have the capacity to cull about 45,000 animals from infected areas within a certain period as per the strict requirements of the EU.
Following the collapse of the deal, workers at CSC told The Zimbabwean that situation at the company reverted back to the economic crisis which the country experienced before the formation of the inclusive government.
Post published in: News