Botswana's karakul renaissance - Ministry of Agriculture

LIVESTOCK AND
MEAT INDUSTRIES ACT
PROTECTS ALL PARTIES
Dr Sehularo
Article: Priscilla Nthaga
Photo: Tshepiso Baipidile
In their endeavour to sensitize butcheries
and meat retailers on the provision of the
Livestock and Meat Industries Act which
amongst other things calls for inspection of
meat products for human consumption, the
Ministry of Agriculture and that of Labour
and Home Affairs in conjuction Barclays
Bank, recently hosted a stakeholders
workshop on Act.
The workshop was officially opened by
Kweneng District Commissioner, Mr. Moagi
Kenosi, who said the act was enacted
to ensure that all meat to be sold should
be inspected to ascertain if it is in a good
condition for human consumption. He
further stated that the Act was also made to
protect both the retailers and customers.
He said the Act would go a long way in
improving the quality of meat, adding
that Batswana would be able tom eat the
same quality of meat which the Botswana
Meat Commission {BMC} exports to the
European market.
Mr Kenosi said Botswana is a meat eating
nation so it is important that the meat eaten
is of high quality.
For his part the Agricultural Regional
Coordinator for Kweneng Mr Kedikilwe
Kedikilwe said the purpose of the workshop
is to empower meat retailers and butcheries
inorder for their businesses to prosper.
The other purpose he said is to guide meat
retailers and butcheries on slaughtering
procedures and other methods required in
meat inspection as well as giving them tips
on how their meat could be rejected.
Kedikilwe appealed to them not to resist
change as they are likely to lose customers
if they do so.
Another purpose of the workshop was
to teach butchers and meat retailers on
handling and transportation of meat which
he said that can be one principle that can
attract customer to butcheries. He went on
to say that temperature control after shelve
life should be complied noting that during
transportation more air should be allowed
to circulate.
Also speaking at the occasion was the
Deputy Director of Veterinary Services Dr
Kerapetse Sehularo who said Botswana has
only 47 meat inspectors but needs at least
150. He said Molepolole alone has adding
57 butcheries and 244 000 livestock.
He went on to reveal the core cluster
responsibility of the Department of
Veterinary Services is animal health
protection which entails responsibility
for animal health, how the animals are
to be handled when they are ailing. He
also emphasised the importance of
communicating with the veterinarian
before moving the animals from one place
to another.
He further stated that veterenary offcials
look at many issues before issuing a permit
for animal movement, adding that some
diseases can be detected on life animals
while others can be found on meat.
The other cluster, he said, is animal welfare
protection which is basically how animals
should be handled. Animals should be
taken care off, they should not be beaten.
Dr Sehularo said that Botswana is praised
for producing meat that is in good
condition for human consumption and
also how diseases such as Foot and Mouth
are handled. He said when it comes to
Foot and Mouth Disease {FMD) control
Botswana takes the lead.
Dr. Sehularo said the other cluster is Public
Health Protection which deals with food
safety and zoonoses.
He said that the main purpose of the act
is customer protection thus dictating
that cattle are slaughtered in a hygienic
environment to avoid food poisoning at all
costs.
It is also consolidates the control which
includes licensing and revocation of
licensing when there is contravention of
standards, supervision and inspection
of meat to ensure that only wholesome
and safe meat is sold to the public under
one authority (Department of Veterinary
Services (DVS} The inspection by DVS will
guarantee independent meat inspection
and carcass grading as opposed to the
current situation.
Dr Sehularo said the primary responsibility
of the operator is to ensure safety and
suitability of meat for human consumption
in accordance with regulatory meat hygiene
requirements adding that consumers of
meat should protect meat by maintaining
the temperature that the meat has when
buying, saying it is dangerous to defrost
meat and put it back to the fridge.
He added that customers should be
responsible for meat safety from the point of
sale to the point of consumption.
He further stated the export facilities would
be expected to meet domestic as well as
importing countries requirements adding
that importing requirement would strictly
adhered to so as to protect the country’s
human and livestock population and
environment against biosecurity threats
related to globalization
Dr Sehularo went on to talk about meat
handling and its transportation. He revealed
that car transporting meat should be cleaned
and the meat covered not placed in the floor
of the vehicle and green offers like intestines
should not be placed on top of the red meat
adding that intestines should be eaten as
fresh as possible, if eaten after frozen the
virus increases rapidly.
He further said in covered vehicle there
should be containers to store red meat.
The interior areas of the vehicle should
be done in a way that the meat cannot be
contaminated and wall and floor should be
corrosion existence. Cars should be sealed
with silicon materials since it does not allow
cockroaches to hide in between.
Hard plastics containers that can be closed
with light colours to identify dirt should be
used since dark colours can hide dirt and also
packaged meat should not be transported in
the same car with unpackaged meat.
For the store chilled meat in the fridge it is
allowed to be transported within 24km not
frozen, if frozen allowed to be transported
100km not beyond, fresh meat should
be loaded in 7 degrees Celsius or less in
trucks, 4 degrees Celsius for chilled meat
and -12 degrees Celsius for fresh frozen
meat. Transporting unfrozen meat would be
allowed if one can drive within an hour.
Dr Sehularo said the exemptions of the
facilities would be animals intended for
slaughter for consumption within a single
household, public gatherings (including
weddings, funerals and celebrations) and
butchers and retail shop would not be
allowed to sell meat unless it comes from
licensed operational abattoirs.
to page 16 >
May 2010