Our Livestock Production and Value-Addition Department has devised a robust strategy to buy cattle from all Namibian cattle producers with marketable cattle.

It is important for Meatco to service its markets both locally and internationally sustainably. Although with the good rains received this season producers are restocking, we cannot ignore our clients’ need to receive products that are of the highest quality.

To meet client needs, the department aims to buy animals from communal and commercial producers through strategically devised platforms, such as permit days scheduled in the communal areas, which allow for mass gatherings where the department can buy many animals. The department also robustly sources animals at communal and commercial auction days organised through farmers’ associations or organised agricultural entities.

Meatco can also buy animals directly from the farm using a platform referred to as “on-farm permit days”, which is an arranged sale between Meatco and the farmer where the farmer receives payment immediately to avoid additional transportation costs.

According to Meatco, the direct delivery of cattle by communal and commercial producers to our Export Abattoir is another way we aim at actively buying animals this year. Producers can also directly deliver the animals to our various daily permanent buying points like the Annasruh Feedlot, 30 kilometres east of Gobabis; and the Klein Hamakari buying point in the Otjozondjupa Region that is due to open by the end of March; and the Okapuka Feedlot, 25 kilometres from our Head Office.

Meatco is rolling out a Special Feeders Contract, which will bind cattle producers to deliver a fixed number of animals per month for the period April 2021 to January 2022. We have issued a call for an expression of interest through the media, inviting qualifying and capable cattle producers to apply.

Besides these strategies, the Corporation will buy animals from neighbouring Botswana. Namibia and Botswana have the same animal health standards, and that country also has access to the European Union (EU) Market. Therefore, sourcing cattle from Botswana will secure raw material for our local market and leaving the Namibian cattle South of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (SVCF) for the international markets for the interim.

Namibian cattle producers remain an important stakeholder and Meatco will continue to source animals from Namibian producers. However, we will not limit ourselves to the Namibian farmers in our quest to secure throughput for our abattoir sustainably.