The president of the Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU), Raimar von Hasse, has urged cabinet to make haste with a decision on the export of small livestock. I n a letter sent to the Minister of Trade and Industry, Hage Geingob, the NAU stressed the fact that the new marketing season for sheep starts at the end of October. Yet there is no end in sight to the stalemate between producers and abattoirs.
To protect Namibian abattoirs, government has declared that for every sheep exported six must be slaughtered in Namibia. South African abattoirs offer better prices so many farmers prefer to export their livestock on the hoof. recent high level delegation of government ministers was unable to resolve the dispute. The wants cabinet to take a decision before the scheduled Congress of Livestock Producers on 7 and 8 October. – Servaas van den Bosch
A local premium for Namibian beef
Livestock producers in Namibia must profit directly from favourable market conditions in Europe. This has been decided by the board of directors of Meatco, the biggest beef producer in the country. T he board has decided to add a premium of R1/kg on all animals delivered to Meatco’s abattoirs since 1 February.
The premium for cattle slaughtered up to 31 August will be paid at the end of September. After that the price increase will be added to regular payments. he good returns in Europe are said to be due to the absence of Brazil on the European market. The South American country is the world’s biggest beef producer but has been barred from exporting after FMD outbreaks and poor animal-health standards. Brazil is rumoured to be set to return to the scene next year. Because of the dynamics of the European market Meatco will adjust its pricing for different carcass weights, putting a more gradual system in place.
At the moment carcasses that deliver large cuts fetch a substantially better price. M eanwhile, the Namibian government has ordered a group of consultants to look into the ownership structure of Meatco. In 1992 government announced plans to nationalise the cooperative. his week the Namibian prime minister Nahas Angula attended a meeting where plans to amend the ownership structure of Meatco to include communal, commercial, resettled and emerging livestock producers who use Meatco’s abattoirs.
Consultants will determine a value for properties and operations in Namibia and overseas. law allowed the cooperative to be set up without shareholders. This has caused ownership problems when setting up partnerships with other market players. proposal that the farmer members of Meatco are also its shareholders is being explored. – Servaas van den Bosch
