BAMB charts new path to push food security
Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board (BAMB) new Chief Executive Officer, Leonard Morakaladi, has said his organisation is currently taking a new path which will see it move to become a key player in the economic make up as well as national agendas of employment creation and economic diversification. Morakaladi was addressing a press conference recently in Gaborone.
Morakaladi is of the view that apart from the fact that Agriculture puts food on the table, the sector carries inarguable potential in contributing to the country’s Gross Domestic Product and creation of much needed jobs especially for the unemployed young people. Giving a brief update on the company’s operations the CEO shared that apart from buying local produce BAMB was also moving into creating linkages between livestock producers and arable producers in the area of grain by-products uptake by local livestock farmers.
Morakaladi also offered clarification on pricing concerns, saying BAMB pricing was based on regional trends as Botswana was on overall importing most of its grain. “We use the Southern African Features Exchange, we basically benchmark our prices based on the prevailing pricing in the Southern Africa region so that if we run out of grain we can still have our boarders open so that we can import, so we try by all means to harmonies the prices,” he said.
He also explained that his organization operates on two types of pricing being, contract pricing and non contract pricing. Under the contract prices category BAMB enters into an agreement with an indentified grain producer with proven production capacity. “This provides hedging mechanism for our continuous suppliers who adhere to our agreement in feeding us with certain amount of grain at agreed time intervals, this usually encompasses our large scale commercial farmers,” he said.
Morakaladi explained that under this category, procuring prices are a bit higher that non contract prices. BAMB also, leveraging on government incentives offers 30 % input cost payback to producers for every 5 hectares of grain produce. Regarding Botswana’s grain production capacity quantity, the BAMB Chief Executive said that currently Botswana was producing on average 20 000 metric tons of Maize against the annual consumption of 142 000 metric tons.
“This season we are only expecting just over 10 000 metric tons, this clearly reflects that we are by far net importers of maize and always will be unless we improve this tonnage,” he said. Against the annual consumption of 90 000 metric tons of sorghum Botswana is almost able to feed itself as a nation. “This season we are expecting 35 000 metric tons of harvest, coupled with over 40 000 metric tons in our storages we can comfortably say we will easily meet our annual consumption demand,” he said.
Morakaladi also said the same about cowpeas production explaining that this season, Botswana produced around 7 000 metric tons which will carry the nation through coupled with substantial grain available in BAMB storages to date. BAMB is mandated with taking care of the Government Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) through which the organization ensures that in the worst case scenario Botswana would have enough grain to feed itself for a significant amount of time.
“We are looking at having at least 30 000 metric tons of Maize, Sorghum and beans in our storage facilities, this can also be maintained by hosting over 234 million pula, ready in the bank to buy grains at any point in time to ensure we continue feeding the nation,” he said.
He underscored that going forward the Board intends to fast track implementation of the cluster strategy.
“We will be working closely with our small and medium scale farmers to try and assist them with incubation and clustering mechanism to inculcate the spirit of clustering which co nsequently results in increased output because when our farmers produce individually they have challenges with accessing fertilizers, recapitalization and machinery.”Morakaladi also shared that BAMB will engage farmers association and community cooperatives to see how they can work together towards increased grain produce.
“Our commercial farmers are an important component in our course but we believe they are at a level now where they can stand on their own, they have graduated, this now allows us to invest more incubation and technical assistance into our small farmer,” he said.
BAMB also provides an advisory role to the livestock farming community through its business centers countrywide which includes retailing veterinary requisites ranging from vaccines, dips, de wormers, antibiotics, veterinary instruments, antibiotics, mineral and vitamin supplements for livestock and poultry.
In the 2016/17 financial year Botswana Agricultural Marketing Board registered total revenue increase of 20.5% from P332 million in 2016 to P400.7 million at end of the 2017 financial year. The revenue growth in revenue was mainly attributed to sale of animal feeds, veterinary medicines, which for the first time were the major contributor to BAMB total sales. However the board experienced a decline in profit as compared to the year ending March 2016 as it recorded a profit of P19, 959, 41 as at March 2017.
BAMB is tasked with providing a market for locally grown scheduled crops such as cereals, pulses/beans and oilseeds, as well as ensure that adequate supplies exist for sale to customers at affordable prices. The organization has in recent years been undergoing restructuring of their business operations and remodeling its management strategies intended at benefiting the producer and uptake consumer better.
Business
LLR transforms from Company to Group reporting
Botswana Stock Exchange listed diversified real estate company, Letlole La Rona Limited (“LLR” or “the Company” or “the Group”), posted its first set of group financial statements which comprise the Company and Group consolidated accounts, which show strong financial performance for the six months ended 31 December 2023, with improvements across all key metrics.
The Company commenced the financial year with the appointment of a Deputy Chairperson, Mr Mooketsi Maphane, in order to bolster its governance and enhance leadership continuity through the development of a Board and Executive Management Succession Plan.
At operational level, LLR increased its shareholding in Railpark Mall from 32.79% to 57.79% and proudly took over the management of this prime asset.
The CEO of LLR, Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng commented “During the period under review, our portfolio continued to perform strongly, with improvements across all key metrics as a result of our ongoing focus on portfolio growth and optimisation.
“We are pleased to report a successful first half of the 2024 financial year, where we managed to not only grow the portfolio through strategic acquisitions and value accretive refurbishments but also recycled capital through the disposal of Moedi House as well as the ongoing sale of section titles at Red Square Apartments. The acquisition of an additional 25% stake in JTTM Properties significantly uplifted the value of our investment portfolio to P2.0 billion at a Group level. Our investment portfolio was further differentiated by the quality of our tenant base, as demonstrated by above market occupancy levels of 99.15% and strong collections of above 100% for the period”.
The growth in contractual revenue of 9% from the prior year’s P48.0 million to the current year P52.2 million, increased income from Railpark Mall, coupled with high collection rates, has enabled the company to declare a distribution of 9.11 thebe per linked unit, which is in line with the prior year.
In line with its strategic pillars of ‘Streamlined and Expanded Botswana Portfolio’ as well as ‘Quality African Assets’, the Group continuously monitors the performance of its investments to ensure that they meet the targeted returns.
“The Group continues to explore yield accretive opportunities for balance sheet growth and funding options that can be deployed to finance that growth” further commented the CEO of LLR Ms Kamogelo Mowaneng.
Ms Mowaneng further thanked the Group’s stakeholders for their continued support and stated that they look forward to unlocking further value in the Group.
Business
Botswana’s Electricity Generation Dips 26.4%
The Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) has reported a significant decrease in electricity generation for the fourth quarter of 2023, with output plummeting by 26.4%. This decline is primarily attributed to operational difficulties at the Morupule B power plant, as per the latest Botswana Index of Electricity Generation (IEG) released recently.
Local electricity production saw a drastic reduction, falling from 889,535 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 654,312 MWH in the period under review. This substantial decrease is largely due to the operational challenges at the Morupule B power plant. Consequently, the need for imported electricity surged by 35.6% (136,243 MWH) from 382,426 MWH in the third quarter to 518,669 MWH in the fourth quarter. This increase was necessitated by the need to compensate for the shortfall in locally generated electricity.
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) was the principal supplier of imported electricity, accounting for 43.1% of total electricity imports during the fourth quarter of 2023. Eskom followed with 21.8%, while the remaining 12.1, 10.3, 8.6, and 4.2% were sourced from Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM), Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Nampower, and Cross-border electricity markets, respectively. Cross-border electricity markets involve the supply of electricity to towns and villages along the border from neighboring countries such as Namibia and Zambia.
Distributed electricity exhibited a decrease of 7.8% (98,980 MWH), dropping from 1,271,961 MWH in the third quarter of 2023 to 1,172,981 MWH in the review quarter.
Electricity generated locally contributed 55.8% to the electricity distributed during the fourth quarter of 2023, a decrease from the 74.5% contribution in the same quarter of the previous year. This signifies a decrease of 18.7 percentage points. The quarter-on-quarter comparison shows that the contribution of locally generated electricity to the distributed electricity fell by 14.2 percentage points, from 69.9% in the third quarter of 2023 to 55.8% in the fourth quarter. The Morupule A and B power stations accounted for 90.4% of the electricity generated during the fourth quarter of 2023, while Matshelagabedi and Orapa emergency power plants contributed the remaining 5.9 and 3.7% respectively.
The year-on-year analysis reveals some improvement in local electricity generation. The year-on-year perspective shows that the amount of distributed electricity increased by 8.2% (88,781 MWH), from 1,084,200 MWH in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 1,172,981 MWH in the current quarter. The trend of the Index of Electricity Generation from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 indicates an improvement in local electricity generation, despite fluctuations.
The year-on-year analysis also reveals a downward trend in the physical volume of imported electricity. The trend in the physical volume of imported electricity from the first quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2023 shows a downward trend, indicating the country’s continued effort to generate adequate electricity to meet domestic demand, has led to the decreased reliance on electricity imports.
In response to the need to increase local generation and reduce power imports, the government has initiated a new National Energy Policy. This policy is aimed at guiding the management and development of Botswana’s energy sector and encouraging investment in new and renewable energy. In the policy document, Minister of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security Lefoko Moagi stated that the policy aims to transform Botswana from being a net energy importer to a self-sufficient nation with surplus energy for export into the region. Moagi expressed confidence that Botswana has the potential to achieve self-sufficiency in electric power supply, given the country’s readily available energy resources such as coal and renewable sources.
Business
MMG acquires Khoemacau in a transaction valued at P23Bn
MMG Limited, the Hong Kong-based mining company specializing in base metals, has successfully concluded the acquisition of Khoemacau Copper Mine, a state-of-the-art, world-class copper asset nestled in the northwest of Botswana.
On Monday, MMG announced that the acquisition of Khoemacau Mine in Botswana was finalized on 22nd March 2024. “This acquisition enriches the company’s portfolio with a top-tier, transformative growth project and signifies a monumental milestone in the Company’s journey,” MMG communicated in an official statement published on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Upon completion of the acquisition, MMG remitted to the Sellers an Aggregate Consideration of approximately US$1,734,657,000 (over P23 billion), a sum subject to potential adjustments post-Completion.
In addition to the Aggregate Consideration, MMG, in accordance with the Agreement, advanced an aggregate amount of approximately US$348,580,000 (over P4.5 billion) as the Aggregate Debt Settlement Amount, to settle certain debt balances of the Target Group (Cuprous Capital/Khoemacau).
On November 21, 2023, Khoemacau announced that the shareholders of its parent company [Cuprous Capital] had agreed to sell 100% of their interests to MMG Limited.
MMG is a global resources company that mines, explores, and develops copper and other base metals projects on four continents. The company is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, and has a significant shareholder, China Minmetals Corporation, which is China’s largest metals and minerals group owned by the Government of the People’s Republic of China.
On December 22, 2023, Khoemacau Copper Mining (Pty) Ltd received the approval from the Minister of Minerals and Energy of Botswana regarding the transfer of a controlling interest in the Project Licenses and Prospecting Licenses associated with the Khoemacau Copper Mine, a result of the Acquisition.
The Botswana Competition & Consumer Authority (CCA) on January 29, 2024, notified the market that it had given its approval for the takeover of Khoemacau Copper Mining by MMG Limited.
On January 29, 2024, the CCA issued a merger decision to the market, stating that after conducting all necessary assessments, it was ready to proceed.
The Competition Authority affirmed that the structure of the relevant market would not significantly change upon implementation of the proposed merger as the proposed transaction is not likely to result in a substantial lessening of competition, nor endanger the continuity of service in the market of mining of copper and silver ores and the production, and sale or supply of copper concentrate in Botswana.
Furthermore, the CCA stated that the proposed merger would not have any negative impact on public interest matters in Botswana as per the provisions of section 52(2) of the Competition Act 2018.
Earlier this month, Minister of Minerals & Energy, Lefoko Maxwell Moagi, informed parliament that his Ministry was endorsing the Khoemacau acquisition by MMG Limited. He noted that not only was the company acquiring the existing operation but also committing to an expansion program that would cost over $700 million to double production, create more jobs for Batswana, and increase taxes and royalties paid to the Government.