Botswana Welcomes Lifting of EU Beef Export Ban
Cattle farmers in Botswana, one of Africa’s top beef exporters to the European Union, have welcomed renewed beef exports to Europe.
The move follows a two-month ban that followed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease and the culling of thousands of cows.
Botswana officials on Monday said the August outbreak near the border with Zimbabwe has been brought under control, although a ban on cattle from the area remains in place.
Due to tough restrictions, beef exports to the European Union had been suspended because of the outbreak in August.
But farmers like Bathusi Letlhare said they are now relieved following Monday’s announcement of the partial lifting of the ban.
“It is a welcome development because the EU is one of the main markets for our beef,” Letlhare said. “They pay good prices, and this, in turn, benefits farmers a lot. It is always bad when we have an FMD outbreak and the market has to be closed.”
Letlhare added that the frequent outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease have had an adverse impact on the economy.
“I can say 80 percent of households have livestock, and when FMD breaks out and certain markets are closed, it becomes a big challenge to farmers,” Letlhare said. “Farmers cannot move cattle to markets, and there is no income to farmers, and the whole economy is affected.”
Mqondisi Dube / Voice of America
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