Parastatal will have control over all meat types
Once in operation, the much anticipated Meat Industry Regulatory Authority (MIRA) will regulate all forms of meat including dog, donkey, pork and others, as well as processed meat products.
MIRA, according to Minister of Agriculture- Fidelis Molao, will also be more than just a parastatal. When speaking at a one day consultative workshop for stakeholders in Gaborone, Molao said the MIRA Bill will be presented for a second reading in Parliament in the July meeting, and likely to pass into law before end of the year.
The objective of the MIRA will be to control sale; grading, packaging and labelling of livestock and meat products; licensing of abattoirs and meat processors; control importation of livestock and meat products and promotion of meat production and quality assurance programs among others.
“The objectives of the Authority shall be to promote the interests of the livestock and meat industry to ensure the profitability, sustainability and competitiveness of the industry including accelerating innovation, research and development across the industry value chain,” reads part of the Bill.
Section 5 of the Bill says MIRA will also develop, implement, and monitor strategies and plans designed to achieve and maintain food security by promoting the export of livestock and meat products and further improve efficiency in meat production and processing.
The Authority which has brought hope that the monopoly that Botswana Meat Commission has enjoyed for many years, will also control quantities and quality of imported livestock meat products.
MIRA will also have powers to issue, amend, suspend or revoke license, or “refuse any application for a license if such application does not meet such requirements as may be prescribed”.
The Authority will be governed by a Board of Directors and headed by the Chief Executive Officer who shall be appointed by the Minister.
However, it was this part that unsettled some farmers who argued that the Board should be appointed by farmers’ associations since they are the ones who have direct contact with the meat industry as livestock producers. They said the minister is likely to be compromised and tempted to push his personal interests at the expense of the farmers.
The Minister responded that the position of minister is merely to represent the government and ensure smooth operations of the Authority to achieve its objectives and protect the interests of the nation.
The Board members will be required to be clean prior to appointment, during their tenure and should not be politically active. The requirements for Board membership are almost the same as those for existing parastatals.
Another concern was what was going to become of the Botswana Meat Commission? Molao said the BMC is just like any other abattoir or butchery and its distinguishing characteristic was that it is massive and owned by the government. He said it will also be subjected to MIRA requirements and regulations.
Individual license holders who contravene the regulations will be fined a maximum of P30,000.00 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or both while companies will be fined ten percent of its annual turnover.
