The city of Francistown is not expected to see the reopening of the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) plant in the near future, according to Minister of Agriculture, David Tshere. The facility, which has been non-operational since its shutdown in 2018, struggled with underutilization due to persistent supply challenges, forcing its closure.
Minister Tshere addressed concerns during a parliamentary session following a question posed by Tonota MP, Gaefele Sedombo, who inquired whether the Francistown BMC plant would resume operations soon, especially given Botswana’s recent identification of new export markets such as the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
In response, Minister Tshere explained that the plant’s capacity to operate effectively is closely tied to the national cattle herd size, which currently does not support sufficient supply. He emphasized that the reopening of the Francistown facility hinges on an increase in the national herd count to ensure steady cattle availability for slaughter.
While the prospect of new markets like the DRC presents promising opportunities for Botswana’s beef industry, the Minister cautioned that without adequate livestock supply, reopening the plant would not be viable in the short term. He reassured that should the herd numbers improve, efforts would be made to reactivate the Francistown BMC plant to support local slaughter and export demands.
The Botswana Meat Commission remains a critical player in the country’s beef export sector, and the government continues to monitor livestock production closely to align infrastructure capacity with market opportunities. For now, stakeholders and communities around Francistown will need to wait as supply challenges are addressed before the plant can be brought back into operation.
