GABORONE - A new report by the Botswana Private Sector Development Programme (PSDP) says there is huge potential for Botswana beef exports into 11 more markets in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.
Like other loss-making parastatals, the Botswana Meat Commission (BMC) has been challenged to expand beef sales beyond the traditional European Union (EU) market amid concerns that although still lucrative, the EU market was either static or showing signs of potential decline.
According to the analysis, the EU market has become too competitive for Botswana as the preferential status it enjoyed previously has been eroded by the EU’s granting of similar provisions to competitors through a series of bi-lateral and multi-lateral agreements signed over the past few years.
Further, the report noted that Botswana should seek new markets because her traditional position as the preferred beef supplier to the EU had been eroded by the ever-increasing cost of the business arising from the EU’s stringent requirements for animal health and food safety.
"These advantages are offset by the significant costs added to the beef value chain and its supporting infrastructure by the need to comply with stringent standards, which have been tightening over an extended period as the EU responds to its consumers’ concerns and reacts to unfolding crises," the report said.
The potential new beef export markets include the European countries of Sweden, Switzerland and Italy.
The report said preliminary research found that Italians were more willing to pay "relatively high prices" for Botswana beef products.
The report identified Russia as a potential market for specified and targeted BMC beef cuts.
Hong Kong, Taiwan and Hong Kong were seen as potential markets for "low-volume, premium cuts".
In the Middle East, the report advised BMC to follow up on a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Kuwaiti meat distributor to spread Halaal products throughout the region.
In West Africa, countries which include Nigeria could be turned into lucrative markets if inter-regional trade barriers were removed.
In southern Africa, the BMC was advised to increase the low volume of beef exports to Angola, while exploring the potential for a new market in Zambia.
Survey identifies new potential Botswana beef export markets
Comments | 0
