Kgalagadi butchers back FMD slaughter suspensions but warn that prolonged curbs could bankrupt them — the tension between disease control and livelihood
Section
Farming
Biosecurity Lapses Trigger FMD Outbreak at AI Centre
Minister Dikoloti links an FMD outbreak at Ramatlabama AI Training Centre to human biosecurity lapses, forcing BMC abattoir closures — and testing EU beef
Authorities Clarify FMD Controls: Dairy and Aggregates Exempt
Botswana’s FMD coordinator Dr Mbeha clarifies that UHT and pasteurised milk, firewood and aggregates are exempt from movement curbs — what it means for
Molopo Farmers Pool Funds for a 200km FMD Barrier
Molopo River farmers pooled funds in late January 2026 for a 200km FMD barrier fence to block disease from South Africa and protect Botswana’s EU beef markets.
FMD Response Shifts from Culling to Vaccination in Zone 6b
Botswana’s early-2026 choice to vaccinate rather than cull Zone 6b cattle against FMD eases farmer losses while protecting premium beef export access.
Malawi’s next food shock may begin with input costs
El Niño risk and expensive fertiliser expose the mechanism that makes Malawi vulnerable: weather pressure becomes an economic problem when farmers cannot afford the inputs needed to protect yields.
Dikoloti Warns Farmers: FMD Controls Vital for EU Beef Access
Acting Minister Dikoloti has told Digawana farmers that strict FMD protocols are essential to regain Zone 11’s green status within 3–6 months and protect
Producer margins
Fuel, fertiliser and price swings are squeezing the space between what a farmer spends and what a farmer earns. For Botswana, the margin is where the sector’s viability is decided.
Local seed systems
When imported seed and inputs are disrupted, local systems look less like nostalgia and more like insurance. Botswana has reason to take its own seed systems seriously.