Meatco engages strategic stakeholder, Zamco

05 Mar 2021

Meatco's Team together with ZAMCO Members.

 

On 23 February 2021, Meatco met with the Zambezi Meat Corporation leadership to map the way forward in operationalising the Katima Mulilo Abattoir.

Zambezi Meat Corporation (ZAMCO), since becoming the official operator of the Katima Mulilo abattoir, requested Meatco, through the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, to operationalise cabinet directives of 22 July 2020 requesting Meatco to operate the government-owned abattoirs.   

“There is a huge outcry from producers who want to market their cattle,” said Alfred Chilinda, the ZAMCO chairperson. 

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform signed lease agreements with Zamco to operate the Katima Mulilo and Kiat (Oshakati) abattoirs. Cabinet, in its decision No: 4th/17.03.20/004, directed the ministry to facilitate the process for Meatco to enter cooperation agreements with operators of state-owned abattoirs and meat processing facilities in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) (ZAMCO and Kiat) to provide technical support to the operators for a period that the parties may agree upon.

Farmers in most NCAs could not market their cattle regularly since 2015.

At Meatco, part of our strategy is to engage stakeholders and to ensure throughput from the NCA, which will improve our throughput. This is a strategic component, as we are identifying new African markets.