Swapo Party MP Willem Amutenya questioned the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water, and Land Reform whether farmers north of the Redline have viable value-added infrastructure to process meat, as they are now dependent on their own market due to restrictions on livestock products.

“Yes, the northern side has the livestock, and they can sustain their market. But the question is whether the infrastructure is viable for meat processing and value addition. Most of these facilities are not functional. What is the Ministry’s plan to address this matter so that farmers can meet the demand on the other side?”

Zaamwani responded that despite the restriction, this could be an opportunity for farmers in the northern areas to increase production.

Regarding what the Ministry is doing to increase the facilities available, she stated that the ministry has already initiated a Livestock Development Value Chain Programme in the north.

“Through that programme, we have invested a lot in the development and upgrade of some of the facilities. Firstly, the government invested N$200 million in the upgrading of the Rundu Abattoir, which has increased its capacity up to 120 cattle per day. In that regard, the government has availed logistical support to Meatco to reduce the cost of marketing and transportation for farmers.This is to enable Meatco to collect the animals at a centralised point, which reduces the cost to the farmers.”

She acknowledged some challenges in terms of operating at full capacity.

However, the government is engaging with the Zambezi Meat Corporation (ZAMCO) to assess the challenges in order to determine the way forward.