After just one delivery of 18 ostriches to Gaborone Multispecies Abattoir last month, Talana Farms has suspended the sale of ostriches to Gaborone Multispecies Abattoir due to technical reasons.
This was said by the Manager of Talana Farms Anthony Peel. “I can confirm that we have temporally suspended the sale of ostriches because of some unforeseeable technical reasons”, he said.
Peel said there has been some cold days in the Tuli Block last month which has made the ostriches to lose weight adding that the cold weather has made the ostriches to lose weight and that they cannot sell them when they are under weight.
“Ostriches are very sensitive to cold weather. Even a few days of cold weather makes them to lose weight so after the cold weather we have suspended their sale till the time they have gained weight again”, he said.
He admitted that he does not know when that will happen but that he hopes it will be in the near future. “All I can say in that regard is that it will be in the near future”, he said. Talana Farms is currently the only farm that has ready to slaughter ostriches.
Other ostriches farmers went out of business after the then Botswana Ostriches Abattoir was close due to lack of ostriches to slaughter some five years ago leaving farmers with debts in banks .
An observer close to the industry who declined to be named said that it was disheartening to see that ostrich industry in Botswana is failing to take advantage of the fact that birds flu that is constantly breaking out in South Africa which has a large ostrich industry is stopping it from selling to EU market.
“They should have taken this advantage but it looks as if they are failing to do so and SA is going to regain their strength in the industry at their disadvantage”, said the observer.
Talana Farms halts sale of ostriches to abattoir
