26th October 2022
MEDIA NOTICE
BOTSWANA DELEGATION VISITS NORWAY, GERMANY AND THE UNITED KINGDOM (UK) TO PROMOTE BOTSWANA BEEF
Beef productions stakeholders in Botswana, and the general public are informed that a delegation led by Assistant Minister of Agriculture Honorable Molebatsi Molebatsi, MP is expected to travel to Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom (UK) from 28th October until 10th November 2022. The delegation includes senior officials from the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) as well as the Botswana National Beef Producers Union (BNBPU).
It is common cause for the BMC to invite/travel with Botswana cattle producers -assigned from their openly recognizable amalgamation(s) – whenever it embarks on product and market development initiatives. The last of such was in 2017 with Norway and Australia, but also recently in March 2022 for South Africa.
The intended purpose of this trip is to revitalize and optimize beef-exports relations with the European trade region – given their historic importance and relevance, as a lucrative market for Botswana beef and its entire livestock industry. The European region accounts for more than 30% of Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) exports per annum, yet it is attributable to a yearly average of more than 60% of its revenue/sales. The trip shall therefore accord the delegation an opportunity to also re-affirm to the European importers, Botswana’s unparalleled national food compliance & safety framework – especially after the recent episodes of Foot & Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak in the north easterly parts of the country.
In Germany, through the BMC – the delegation will launch branded retail ready beef packs showing differentiated attributes of Botswana beef, which it intends to strategically penetrate the retail segment of that market.
While in Norway, the delegation shall also meet varied policy makers and senior government officials to assure Botswana’s resoluteness on the supply of quality premium & highly differentiated fresh beef. Through the SACU-European Free Trade Agreement (EFTA), Botswana is allowed access to export about 1,600 tons annually to Norway.
The delegation will complete their trip to Europe, with the United Kingdom (UK) – which has always been a strategic facilitation link to Botswana’s beef trade in Europe. In the UK the delegation will meet meat merchants/importers as well as cattle farming entities.
The delegation is expected back in Botswana on the 11th of November 2022
Please address all information enquiries to the Chief Executive Officer – Botswana Meat Commission, and email to [email protected] or call +267 533 1227 (Office hours only).
