Lobatse BMC shoulders sister abbatoirs

The BMC CEO Dr Akolang Tombale announced that they are unable to invest in the Lobatse BMC plant as it is financially supporting the Francistown and Maun plants.

Addressing members of the media on Friday, Tombale said their plans to improve the Lobatse abattoir are not bearing any fruit as they are supporting the two profit loss making entities.“In the last 3 years the Lobatse BMC revenue has grown quite tremendously. If Lobatse could be separated from Francistown and Maun, it could be a shining star, but it has to support others.”

He said Francistown and Maun play a very significant corporate social responsibility of employing people and said it is their mandate to come up with a formula to turn the situation around and commercialize them as well.

The problem with Maun plant, he said, is that it is in a Foot and Mouth disease endemic area, and when they reopened the plant in 2010 they were canning the beef and selling it, which did not make profits as people felt it was too expensive.The CEO said they are now able to sell Maun beef products countrywide but they have to be de-boned and matured before they come to the Southern part of Botswana, which he added has not been successful. 

“As Batswana we are a market that loves our bones (chuckles) and therefore we are struggling to find a better market even though people are starting to understand the quality.”

The CEO revealed that the problem with the Francistown BMC is that they over-designed the plant and that it has not made the numbers that it was required to make ever since its commissioning in 1987.

He said the plant that is required to at least slaughter 800 cows in a week has since reduced about 40 percent of its work force to cut costs. Vice President Mokgweetsi Masisi said even though the Francistown and Maun plants are not doing well, they will not shut down any time soon as they play a very important social function of employing people and families.