The National Council (NC) has approved the livestock and livestock products amendment bill, which will see poultry, pork and dairy falling under the same regulatory umbrella as meat.

The NC passed the bill yesterday, despite some concerns from opposition members who raised reservations about the composition of the proposed livestock and livestock products board.

Opening the resumption of this debate, Swapo member of parliament George Garab described the proposed law as needing thorough scrutiny.

"The amendments to the Meat Industry Act of 1981, Act 12, is necessary for the unambiguous inclusion of dairy and poultry products in the Meat Industry Act, which will equally assess producers and allow the Meat Board of Namibia to exercise effective management of the importation of dairy, pork and poultry products, and overcome the legal challenges experienced over the past years," Garab said.

With the said amendments, according to the member of parliament, the expansion of the definition of 'livestock and livestock products' will include poultry and dairy products.

Garab said sections 2 and 3 of the act, once amended, would change the name of the Meat Board of Namibia to the 'Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia', with the scope of its function given the broad mandate, respectively.

"The inclusion of poultry, dairy and related products in the livestock and livestock products amendment bill of 2023 gives powers to the proposed Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia, the current Meat Board, to regulate those subsectors to the benefit of local producers and consumers," he said.

Garab said the Meat Board of Namibia has an established capacity, compliance and experience, and accordingly, the new board would leverage its economies of scale to employ incremental resources to facilitate the inclusion and smooth transition of dairy and poultry as controlled products of the livestock and livestock products bill.