A local Botswana publication recently quoted the neighbouring country’s Principal Veterinary Officer for Selebi Phikwe and Bobirwa areas, Ofentse Odirile, saying the animals would be subjected to clinical inspection for foot and mouth disease before being exported to Zimbabwe.
According to the publication, the vaccination campaign started on March 15 and all farmers intending to sell their cattle have been advised to get in touch with the Botswana Meat Commission to make the necessary export arrangements. “BMC will select the animals for export through the commission’s normal selection procedures and selected animals will be monitored for 21 days before exportation,” Odirile told the Bobirwa sub-district council.
The meat deal was stopped in February this year after BMC insisted on cash up front from the troubled Zimbabwe’s Cold Storage Commission before resuming the supply of the cattle.
Zimbabwe and Botswana signed a cattle slaughter and sale deal in 2011 where BMC was to supply 20, 000 cattle to the cash strapped CSC.
Exports were, however, stopped last year when CSC reportedly failed to pay BMC more than P2 million for cattle supplied.
Post published in: News