Beef producers have cautiously welcomed the government’s renewed commitment to revitalise the livestock sector under the twelfth National Development Plan (NDP 12), but insist that this time, implementation must move beyond strategy documents and conference promises to tangible results on the ground.
“What matters most is action—does it match the realities on the ground, not just what is said in meetings,” said Alfred Pilane, Executive Secretary of the Botswana National Beef Producers Union (BNBPU).
The plan outlines a bold vision to reposition agriculture, and livestock in particular, as a competitive sector capable of creating jobs, contributing to food security, and diversifying Botswana’s economy away from its historic reliance on diamonds. Among its most ambitious targets is the expansion of the national cattle herd from 1.6 million to 4.6 million by 2029/30.
Pilane said farmers are encouraged that livestock is finally being recognised as a strategic economic pillar capable of reclaiming its position as one of Botswana’s major foreign-exchange earners, a role it held before diamonds and tourism took over after independence.
“All resources and attention were diverted to those industries, leaving livestock underdeveloped and stagnating. We are happy to now play our part in driving diversification,” he said.
Still, producers urge more practical goals. Achieving 4.6 million cattle, Pilane noted, would require sweeping reforms in production systems, rangeland management, infrastructure, and financing. Even with these measures, he said, the target is unlikely; a more achievable goal would be around 3.5 million.
“3.5 million is a doable number. Historically, Botswana’s cattle population hovered around three million,” Pilane explained.
More than 80 percent of the national herd is held under communal farming, where production remains largely subsistence-based, constrained by limited access to finance, technology, and grazing land. Pilane pointed out that many communal farmers lack the resources to farm efficiently and face mounting challenges such as degraded rangelands, bush encroachment, water scarcity, and shifting land priorities.
“Grazing lands have been reduced, with land boards frequently allocating areas to residential or crop production. This directly constrains where cattle can be reared and where they can graze,” he noted. NDP 12 acknowledges these structural weaknesses and calls for investment in water infrastructure, sustainable land-use planning, and pasture improvement.
Water availability, he said, is of the utmost importance, and fodder production should be promoted, as farmers cannot depend solely on natural grazing.
“No animal should have to die from drought, hunger, or thirst,” he stressed.
Under the plan, the reform of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) is expected to play a crucial role in livestock commercialisation by boosting cattle throughput, improving revenue generation through faster farmer payments, and increasing operational efficiency.
However, producers argue that the BMC’s monopolistic era must end, and that enabling competition is key. The Meat Industry Regulatory Authority (MIRA) Act, passed in 2023, has yet to be fully operationalised. Once implemented, it will open up the beef market and allow farmers to sell where they get the best prices. The Minister of Lands and Agriculture, Edwin Dikoloti, recently told Parliament that P20 million has been set aside for establishing a regulatory authority to oversee the implementation of the Act. Draft regulations, including guidelines on meat production, market placement, and traceability, have already been developed.
“The BMC monopoly must come to an end. Liberalising the beef market will drive competition and give farmers better prices,” Pilane asserted.
Renowned economist Keith Jefferis has repeatedly emphasised the need for Botswana to do away with inefficient state-owned enterprises such as BMC. Speaking recently, Jefferis said the BMC’s monopoly is anti-private sector and inconsistent with the government’s vision of a private sector-led, export-driven economy. While there has been a waiver to allow the private sector to export beef, it was lifted in April 2025, making it illegal for the sector toparticipate in that market.
“Regulation from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Trade and Entrepreneurship prohibits private sector exports, all in a bid to protect BMC from competition,” Jefferis said.
“Remove SOE market privileges and allow the private sector to compete on a level playing field,” he reiterated in his latest economic review, highlighting this as one of the reforms needed to stimulate private sector export-led growth. According to Jefferis, BMC operations should be promptly privatised; failing that, it should be closed and no further subsidies provided.
Historically, live cattle sales were temporarily opened in 2019 to give farmers alternative income streams outside the BMC. This dispensation was linked to BMC’s failure to meet its annual export quotas for markets such as Norway, as farmers preferred to export their cattle to neighbouring South Africa. Most cattle were sold for live export, reducing throughput to the BMC. In 2021, the BMC slaughtered only 19,671 cattle, a figure that rose to 36,125 in 2022. In contrast, 167,072 cattle were exported live from Botswana in 2021, increasing to 176,476 in 2022.
Pilane also lamented that the country’s main abattoir in Lobatse is aging and prone to frequent breakdowns that disrupt production.
“The plant operates below optimal capacity and under outdated standards. Upgrading it should be an urgent priority,” he said.
He added that value addition must extend beyond meat.
“Farmers should benefit from the full value of the animal, including hides and other by-products, which could significantly increase incomes and create new business opportunities,” he said.
Access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers to livestock growth. Pilane argued that existing credit and insurance systems are too rigid and exclude the majority of communal farmers who lack traditional collateral. While NDP 12 proposes an Agricultural Bank and Captive Insurance Facility to provide insured loans, livestock and crop insurance, Pilane stressed that these must be practical and inclusive.
“These proposed financing and insurance facilities should have non-stringent requirements. Farmers should be able to use their animals, equipment, or farms as security. The system must be inclusive and stratified so everyone, from smallholders to large ranchers, has an entry point,” he explained.
Pilane also underscored that biosecurity and disease control remain critical. The Botswana Vaccine Institute (BVI), he said, is an essential anchor of the livestock industry, especially given the rising frequency of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreaks in neighbouring countries such as South Africa. But he warned that dilapidated cordon fences, especially between Ramatlabama and Dibete, threaten national herd security.
“We have raised this with the Ministry of Agriculture several times. The answer is always the same: the government is aware, but there is no funding to maintain the fences,” Pilane said.
The sector has set an ambitious goal of creating 250,000 jobs in agriculture by 2029/30, many targeting young people. Pilane agrees, saying the livestock sector can indeed be a youth employer—but only if farming is made profitable and accessible.
“If the government can reduce the cost of inputs, improve infrastructure like roads and telecommunications, and make financing more accessible, then young people will come into farming,” he said.
He added that value addition also offers multiple jobs and business opportunities along the livestock value chain.
To avoid repeating past mistakes seen in previous national development plans, Pilane advised that the government should rely more on research to set achievable targets and establish a strong monitoring and evaluation framework. Decisions, he emphasised, should be research-based rather than politically driven.
“More research should inform planning. Every few years, there should be proper reviews to track what’s working, what’s failing, and what can be improved. Reviews are critical in any strategy or plan,” he said.
