The Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU) has reiterated its call for government to set up a mobile unit abattoir in the Kunene region to create market access opportunities for the area's farmers.
NNFU's chief executive officer Kuniberth Shamathe, in the union's latest newsletter, said it is high time for the mobile unit abattoir in the Kavango East region to be relocated to Kunene.
"The Rundu abattoir operations have been running since September 2023. Therefore, there is a need for the mobile unit abattoir to be relocated to one of the regions that do not have an abattoir. The NNFU emphasised its position on the matter jointly with other farmers' unions to both the ministries of agriculture, finance, and parliamentary committees. Given the drought situation, farmers are pushing to sell their livestock. Unfortunately, farmers in the northern communal areas are kept in uncertainty, particularly central-north and Kunene, as abattoirs are not operating," said Shamathe.
He called for Meatco's subsidiaries in the northern communal areas to operate autonomously and be on equal footing with their southern sister companies.
"To ensure focused decision-making, separate boards and management teams should be established for the southern operation and the northern communal areas, respectively. This will allow them to concentrate on their respective objectives, and enhance efficiency in their- operations. The Meatco operations in the northern communal areas should be on business principles and adhere to international best practices. This approach will ensure a balanced allocation of resources and encourage self-sustainability of the entities," he added.
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Shamathe likewise wants government to revive the operations of the Oshakati abattoir through partnership between Meatco and private partners.
"It must be operated as soon as possible because our members are left out. Cabinet directed Meatco to operate the Oshakati abattoir, but only the Katima abattoir and the Rundu abattoir are currently operated by Meatco."
In the global context, Namibia's red meat industry is equivalent to the proverbial grain of sand in the desert. The 1.2 million cattle in Namibia's herd represents less than a quarter percent of the global herd, which amounted to 1 billion in 2022.
The production of beef worldwide was estimated to amount to 59 million tonnes in 2022, compared with Meatco's meat processed at 8 588 tonnes in 2022/23.
Due to Namibia's nominal share of global beef production, it is imperative for the country to focus on selected niche and premium markets for its high-quality products.
Even though agriculture's contribution to the Namibian GDP (excluding the fishing sector) over the last five years has been just under 4%, it remains one of Namibia's most important sectors, as the majority of Namibia's population is dependent directly or indirectly on the agricultural sector for their livelihoods.
Livestock farming contributes to approximately two-thirds of Namibia's annual agricultural production, with crop farming and forestry making up the remaining one-third.
