Botswana Foot & Mouth Outbreak May Cost Farmers $69 Million, Monitor Says
An outbreak of foot and mouth disease could cost the Botswana Meat Commission and its farmers as much as 450 million pula ($69 million) because of a suspension on shipments to the European Union, the Monitor reported.
EU abattoir hygiene and animal traceability rules means Botswana may not be able to ship beef to the region for at least six months, the Gaborone-based newspaper said on its website, citing Philip Fischer, chairman of the Botswana Cattle Producers’ Association. The Botswana Meat Commission is a state- owned company that owns abattoirs in the African nation.
Botswana plans to slaughter 10,000 cattle to curb the foot and mouth outbreak, Mmegi reported yesterday, citing Agriculture Minister Christian de Graaf.
To contact the reporter on this story: Brian Latham in Johannesburg at blatham@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net
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