The Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) performed very well during 2010, surpassing all targets and producing record volumes within the budget price per kilo.
In an interview with Sunday Standard, BMC Chief Executive Officer, Dr. David Falepau, revealed that BMC has gone 11.58 percent above target. He stated that the target throughout 2010 was 160, 428. BMC received one 179, 009.
According to Falepau, Lobatse abattoir led followed by Francistown and then Maun. Lobatse exceeded by 18.8 percent after killing 124 449. For the Francistown abattoir, 54, 560 cattle were killed and narrowly missed the target by 2 percent.
“The BMC led feedlot developments have created a massive change in the quality, number and size of carcasses now produced in Botswana,” said Falepau. He also revealed that the Ghanzi District farmers were BMC’s clients.
He said the carcass Cold-Dress Mass (CDM) reached a record 217.52kg against a budget of 210kg, the net overall effect being a production of nearly 39 million kilos of carcass, another record for the BMC.
The BMC introduced extensive feed finishing programs over the last two years to improve the quality of their products, which are now at par with best among the countries that export to the European Union (EU). Falepau also revealed the target for 2011 as 187, 782 with a CDM of 215kg producing 40 million of carcass.
For 2008, the target was 113,288, rising to 135,286 for 2009 and then to the 179,009 targeted last year ÔÇô an increase of 58 percent over the three year period.
Falepau said plans are underway to refurbish the Maun abattoir by establishing a heat treatment facility to enable it pre cook meat to an internal temperature of 80 degrees Celsius. It currently compromises cattle holding kraals, a slaughter line, carcass chillers, a deboning room, a cooking tunnel, blast freezers, cold stores, rendering plant and hide shed.
