In August 2017, the Meat Board of Namibia intensified its livestock producer registration exercise in accordance with the Meat Act of 1981 governing the operations of the Board.

The exercise has been well received countrywide, resulting in a total of 24,456 producers being registered during the period between January and December 2017.

Awareness amongst farmers was created through information days organised in the Karas, Hardap, Erongo and Kunene South regions.

Awareness was also created through the Meat Board Mentorship Programme Coordinators and Marketing Officers, whose task is to educate producers on the relevance of the livestock producer registration exercise in the Northern Communal Area.

In addition, advertisements were also placed in various media channels such as the Namibian Broadcasting Cooperation (NBC) radio stations.

Furthermore, the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS), Agricultural Production, Extension & Engineering Services (DAPEES) and Agricultural Development Centres provided assistance through their regional offices.

Such assistance was convenient to the producers who registered in their respective regions.

Registrations were also carried out from the three Meat Board offices in Ongwediva, Rundu and Katima Mulilo, ensuring that a large number of producers were captured.

Meat Board of Namibia Chief Marketing Officer, Desmond Cloete, expressed the Board’s sincere appreciation to the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) for their immense assistance during the registration exercise and to the producers for taking time out to register.

He said producers who have not yet registered are urged to do so immediately, as a producer number will be a prerequisite for slaughtering at an abattoir or trading at auctions.

Producers with internet access can register online at www.nammic.com.na.

“The idea behind re-registration is to update producers' details on our database, like in the cases of retirements or producer deaths,” Cloete said.

Through the annual producer registrations, the Meat Board also hope to determine the number of livestock owned per household across the country.  

Meat Board Chief Marketing Officer, Desmond Cloete