Meatco’s Subsidiary for the Northern Communal Area (NCA) CEO Kingsley Kwenani says there is a lot of great opportunities for the area.

He was amongst the key presenters at the MeatBoard Consultative workshop under the theme restoring and growing the NCA Livestock and Meat Industry for Prosperity held in Ondangwa on 09 April 2021.

According to Meatco the NCA Subsidiary Strategy for the NCA include among others, operationalisation of abattoirs, creation of markets for the NCA, established to drive Meatco’s NCA strategy

To enhance market access for NCA livestock farmers by facilitating market development within the NCA, SVCF and internationally (i.e., ensuring market access and competitive prices).

Enhance the Meatco Brand development, positioning, identification and product utilisation in the local market, through the Meatco Export quality local brand, the MeatMa brand and

Operating NCA abattoirs including the Rundu Abattoir, Katima Mulilo Abattoir and the Mobile Slaughter Unit (MSU).

Although FMD remains a challenge for the NCA, the industry has been supporting the ministry to contain the outbreak. Unfortunately, FMD remains a trading block that requires critical thinking and hence the need to explore markets that does not have a problem with FMD specifically in Africa.

Secondly the Ministry have developed Commodity based trade protocols which could be used in marketing the products. These protocols require the utilisation of quarantine facilities. These facilities require some serious works to ensure that when these export abattoirs are operational, they can conform to CBT for the meat produced to be exported. Hence the need for DVS to expedite the repair process for these quarantines said Kwenani.

These are among others the focus of the Meatco NCA strategy. Meatco's NCA Subsidiary was mandated with this specific mandate to unlock opportunities in the Primary Beef Value Chain of the NCA and if it’s supported to adjudicate its mandate farmers north of the Cordon Fence (NVCF) will be able to find value in their livestock just like a farmer South of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (SVCF).

The subsidiary established last year has its own board and is expected to be a vehicle to unlock opportunities in the NCA.