The Meatco Okapuka feedlot has a standing capacity of 9 000 cattle. The animals are kept and fed here for 90 days before slaughter.

According to Senior Manager: Feedlot, Andries Binneman, the development of Meatco’s second feedlot Annasruh, which is located 4 km north of Gobabis and that serves the communal and commercial farming communities of Omaheke Region, is progressing well. The target is to accommodate 4 000 animals by the end of the year, including storing communal cattle. 

With sorting stations currently accommodating between 600 and 800 animals, the total standing cattle by the end of 2017 is projected to be 4 000. This will allow farmers to raise their weaners to long weaners (250-300kg) that can be sold to Meatco rather than being forced to market their animals on the hoof to South Africa under increasingly difficult export conditions.

Binneman said Meatco plans to establish the Kombat feedlot to create marketing opportunities for producers from Otavi and Grootfontein. Meatco is currently carrying out an Environmental Impact Assessment on the Kombat Feedlot.

Meatco’s Okapuka Feedlot

Feeding pens under construction at Annasruh