National vet lab supports beef value chains
Pauline Dikuelo | Monday July 11, 2022 06:00
The review will include the BNVL’s current status of accreditation with the Southern African Development Community Accreditation Service (SADCAS), quality assurance and adequacy of human, financial and material resources.
It will also cover the effectiveness of corrective actions from previous EU audits, customer satisfaction, continuous training of staff, financial control as well as policies and procedures.
The review, which is supported by the EU-SADC EPA support programme in Botswana, is a three and a half year programme launched in February last year.
Its objective is to boost Botswana’s capacity for trade and to realise the full benefits of the economic partnership agreement between the EU and SADC.
Speaking during a management system review meeting on Monday, BNVL deputy director, Chandapiwa Marobela-Raborokgwe said the information generated by the laboratory is used for diagnosis, control and prevention of animal diseases occurring in Botswana as well as certification of animals and livestock products to facilitate local and international trade.
“As a trading partner, the EU observes a non-negotiable requirement of test results from accredited test laboratories,” she said.
BNVL started a five-year accreditation cycle with SADCAS and has undergone annual assessment with the cycle ending in August 2022 due ahead of renewal in September.
“We have made considerable progress in fulfilling our obligations to achieve test accreditation status and implementation of a quality management system according to ISO 17025 Standard in 2000,” Marobela-Raborokgwe said.
“We also accredited seven tests in 2007 increasing the number to 47 as at 2018,” she added.
She also applauded her colleagues for their submission of thorough reports to be unpacked during the management review and expressed gratitude to the EU-SADC EPA Implementation Support Programme for its sponsorship of this year’s review.
Marobela-Raborokgwe said agriculture contributes about three percent to the economy and 80% of this contribution stems from the livestock industry making it vital to the livelihoods of the many Batswana who are subsistence farmers.