Botswana: Livestock Industry to Lose US$55m Due to Foot and Mouth Disease

By Henry Neondo

Botswana authorities have announced that the spate of the outbreak of the foot and mouth disease (FMD) will cost the country US$55 million in lost revenue. In the recent past, the country has seen a number of outbreak of the disease, the latest being in May when the country announced the outbreak in the northern part of the southern African country near the border with Zimbabwe.

According to Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) chief executive officer David Falepau the drop in earnings will be as a result of the expected slump in the number of cattle slaughtered. He said last year BMC slaughtered 180, 000 heads of cattle but this will not be possible this year. He said BMC expects the slaughter number to drop by 80.000.

"We had forecast 220,000 cattle for slaughter but this is now not possible. The longer term effect of the suspension of the feedlotting programme this year due to FMD is that 2012 will likely only return 180, 000 cattle,” he said.

Last year, BMC saw the highest number of cattle slaughtered in many years and was the result of the development of the feedlot sector that increased turnoff from the national herd.

"Slaughter of cattle held over will still be saleable.  However, they will realise a lesser return than if they had been slaughtered in their prime," he said.

Falepau explained that the loss of access to cattle will impact BMC operations. Botswana has a history of FMD occurrence and control that dates far back into the 1930s. Conditions in the southern African region are favourable for spiking FMD outbreaks due to Southern African Territories.