Lesotho Beef

Facts about beef in Lesotho

• In Lesotho- informal slaughter for home consumption is legal but the meat may not be sold (Kingdom of Lesotho- 1972).
• Since the closure of the Lesotho abattoir in 2003- only imported meat can be legally sold
• it was estimated in 2007 that 80% of the meat sold at butcheries comes from informal slaughter
• The sharp increase in meat consumption in 2006 was reported by Seeiso and McCrindle (2006) as coinciding with the anthrax outbreak- which led to substantial imports that were complemented by increased informal market activity
• Beef is the largest source of animal protein in Lesotho. Over the period 2001 and 2011- beef production and consumption have been evenly balanced at an average 10 500 tons and 11 000 tons respectively.