Following investigations, including the collection of urine and feed samples, the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) has lifted restrictions at the Okapuka Feedlot, pending the outcome laboratory tests.

This comes after DVS placed the feedlot under quarantine early in April following a routine quarterly sampling in which the presence of Zeranol was found. This substance is prohibited by the EU and the Namibian government.
The temporary lifting of quarantine pending the final outcome as announced on 3 May 2016 by Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Milton Maseke, means the feedlot may resume its usual operations.

During the period of investigation no cattle were allowed in and out of the feedlot, which may have held serious economic implications for our producers. Meatco thanks all producers for their patience and cooperation during this time.

“The feedlot enables Meatco to slaughter high-quality beef throughout the year, allowing consumers to buy beef 12 months of the year,” says Feedlot Senior Manager, Andries Binneman.

An advantage of the Okapuka feedlot is that it makes animals available to Meatco that are uniform in both weight and fat score. This enhances the capacity for forward-selling or contracting as a suitable marketing option, Binneman adds.

Producers and stakeholders will be notified once the final and full results of the laboratory tests are available.

Following investigations, including the collection of urine and feed samples, the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) has lifted restrictions at the Okapuka Feedlot, pending the outcome laboratory tests.

This comes after DVS placed the feedlot under quarantine early in April following a routine quarterly sampling in which the presence of Zeranol was found. This substance is prohibited by the EU and the Namibian government.
The temporary lifting of quarantine pending the final outcome as announced on 3 May 2016 by Chief Veterinary Officer Dr. Milton Maseke, means the feedlot may resume its usual operations.

During the period of investigation no cattle were allowed in and out of the feedlot, which may have held serious economic implications for our producers. Meatco thanks all producers for their patience and cooperation during this time.

“The feedlot enables Meatco to slaughter high-quality beef throughout the year, allowing consumers to buy beef 12 months of the year,” says Feedlot Senior Manager, Andries Binneman.

An advantage of the Okapuka feedlot is that it makes animals available to Meatco that are uniform in both weight and fat score. This enhances the capacity for forward-selling or contracting as a suitable marketing option, Binneman adds.

Producers and stakeholders will be notified once the final and full results of the laboratory tests are available.