CSC yet to resume regional beef exports

by Business Reporter

2012 August 03 09:14:29 | 2307 Views

Tags

CSC, Exports, Meat, Beef,

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THE Cold Storage Company (CSC) is yet to resume regional beef exports due to a slowdown in the number of cattle from Botswana meant to improve beef supply on the local market.

Last year, the CSC and the Botswana government signed a livestock slaughter deal that was strategically designed to meet Zimbabwe's national demand.

While the domestic market would be supplied with beef from Botswana livestock, the CSC intends to resume regional exports as the company was buying livestock from local farmers under its cattle restocking programme.

The exports to countries such as Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo and Malawi were expected to resume in April this year with 50 tonnes of beef per month.

CSC chief executive officer Mr Ngoni Chinogaramombe said: "We are yet to resume regional exports because of a slowdown in the number of Botswana imports. The slowdown is because of some financial payments we are yet to make for some of the cattle being supplied under the livestock slaughter deal.

"The animals under the slaughter deal are for local consumption. The beef to be exported to regional markets will be from the animals that we secure from local farmers under the CSC cattle restocking programme. Due to a slowdown of cattle from the slaughter deal, beef from local livestock is being supplied to the domestic market."

The first phase of the livestock slaughter deal saw more than 20 000 Botswana cattle from the foot-and-mouth infested Zone VI along the border with Zimbabwe being slaughtered to curb the spread of the disease.

The second phase of the deal was clinched towards the end of last year after that country appointed the Botswana Meat Commission to engage the CSC to slaughter at least 60 000 cattle per year over the next two years from Zone II, which is not infected by the disease.

The CSC suspended beef exports to regional markets a few years ago due to viability challenges the company was facing during the period of economic downturn Zimbabwe was reeling under over the past decade.

Source: TC