President Duma Boko has blamed the ongoing outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) for continued payment delays at the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC), saying the disease has disrupted government’s pledge to pay cattle farmers within seven days of delivering livestock.
The commitment was introduced as part of reforms to restore confidence in the financially troubled state-owned abattoir. However, many farmers have continued waiting weeks, and in some cases months, for payment, placing pressure on cash flow and farm operations.
Addressing the issue, Boko acknowledged farmers’ frustrations but said the FMD outbreak in southern Botswana had significantly affected BMC’s operations. ‘We committed ourselves to ensuring that farmers are paid within seven days after selling their cattle to BMC. Unfortunately, the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease in the southern part of the country has frustrated those efforts,’ he said.
Despite the setbacks, Boko insisted the commission had made progress over the past year by removing longstanding operational bottlenecks that had delayed payments.
‘Even though there are challenges, BMC is on the right track,’ he said, adding that government remained committed to restoring the seven-day payment turnaround once the disease was brought under control.
The FMD outbreak has also disrupted BMC’s processing operations. In May, the commission’s Lobatse abattoir was closed following an outbreak in Zone 11, with authorities indicating the shutdown could last between three and six months, affecting processing capacity and economic activity in the town.
The latest explanation follows renewed complaints from Ngamiland, where farmers recently reported waiting up to two months for payment despite reforms that included the seven-day settlement target and a live-weight procurement model.
The Ngamiland Joint Farmers Association has threatened to petition government, warning that delayed payments are making it difficult for farmers to service loans, cover operating costs and reinvest in production, raising fresh questions about BMC’s operational efficiency.