Botswana’s two largest private feedlotting operations are stunned by the Gaborone High Court’s rejection of an urgent application to slaughter 6 600 cattle already standing well beyond their April 2026 finish date. At their wits’ end, the feedlotters are pleading for short-term help from South Africa.
By Lloyd Phillips, journalist at African Farming and Landbouweekblad
On Tuesday, 1 September, the Gaborone High Court dismissed J.S. Beef’s and PrimeFast’s joint application as not urgent. Judge Onkemetse Tshosa dismissed the urgent application with costs.
J.S. Beef’s and PrimeFast’s collective cattle cannot be slaughtered because of the Botswana government’s major restrictions on livestock movements, slaughter and markets because of the ongoing foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in that country.
Meanwhile, the two feedlotting companies have spent well over P27.8 million (R33.3 million) just on keeping these thousands of stranded cattle fed, watered and otherwise cared for. As previously reported, the only alternatives are to let them starve or to start a mass cull, with the wasted carcasses then somehow safely disposed of.
Reginald Willis, a South African advocate who acted as the feedlotters’ senior counsel in the Gaborone High Court, told African Farming on Wednesday morning his clients have used up almost all their overdraft facilities for keeping the cattle, paying staff and other operational costs, and for their legal fees.
Also read: FMD in Botswana: ‘Shoot, burn and bury’ policy as outbreaks confirmed in 24 locations
Feedlotters feel abandoned
Both Deon van Zyl, whose family owns PrimeFast, and Jannie Strumpher Snr., whose family owns J.S. Beef, separately told African Farming they are stunned by Tshosa’s judgment, and by the conflicting and confusing information they have been receiving from Botswana’s authorities and the state-owned Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) that buys and slaughters their cattle, and markets the beef internationally.
“It was the BMC that approached us some years ago with the proposal that we significantly expand our feedlot, and that the BMC would buy and process the cattle. We invested a lot of money. Suddenly from January this year they don’t want our cattle anymore,” Van Zyl said.
“When I bought these farms, there was almost nothing and there were only two people working. We have 150 working for us now. What exactly do the state and BMC want us to do now?”
Top biosecurity, but no markets
Strumpher Snr. explains his family’s feedlot has strict biosecurity protocols, the cattle have been vaccinated against FMD three times each, and the feedlot is inspected annually by animal health authorities from the European Union. The cattle have also, by default, been in involuntary quarantine for far longer than Botswana authorities’ mandated 32 days. Yet, J.S. Beef remains without any market for its cattle.
“The Department of Veterinary Services initially told us we can have our animals slaughtered by the BMC. The BMC tells us that it’s still not ready to start slaughtering again. We’ve also been told that we could have our beef canned, but we know that it would take up to three years to can the beef from 6 600 animals. Another option given is to eventually slaughter our cattle, and have the carcasses deboned before the beef can be exported. But the European Union still won’t take it.”
While their debt keeps climbing, the Van Zyl and Strumpher families currently have no idea what their way forward is.
Also read: Botswana investigates FMD extortion threats while SAT1 strain shows unprecedented international spread
Plea to South Africa
“All I can think of is to plead with South Africa to help us. It would help if our countries can agree on a short-term structured situation where Botswana exports about 10 000 cattle a month to South Africa for about a year. We’re asking for a relatively small number compared to South Africa’s slaughter numbers because we don’t want to pressure prices for South African farmers,” Strumpher Snr. adds.
“We have only about two million people in Botswana, so our domestic red meat market is too small. At the same time, we have so many communal cattle owners whose only source of income is selling a few cattle at a time to our feedlots. Our feedlot alone has 22 000 small-scale cattle owners as clients. While our feedlots can’t take in any more animals, the communal cattle owners can’t sell any more animals. It’s snowballing. Without South Africa’s help we’re all in very big trouble here. It’ll be a disaster. We’re just asking for a temporary concession.”
Strumpher Snr. also wants the Botswana government to prioritise trade talks with countries that are not as strict as the EU regarding beef imports from countries, like Botswana, with FMD and FMD vaccination.
“My research has identified at least ten such beef importing countries listed by the World Organisation for Animal Health. Research done by various South African experts supports that deboned beef is safe for export from countries with FMD.”
Also read:
Botswana’s FMD starting to run away from authorities
Communal farmers have their say as FMD vaccination drive reaches SA-Botswana border
FMD | Botswana announces new outbreak among ‘elite’ cattle, this time close to SA
FMD in Botswana: Thousands vaccinated, but export markets suspend meat imports
