Amarika farmers to access beef market

The Amarika Farmers’ Cooperative stands a good chance of accessing the lucrative beef market beyond the red line, agriculture minister Calle Schlettwein said last week.

He also said the cooperative would be able to export beef products to the international market if they continue to maximise their supply capacity and handle meat products sustainably.

He said this during the official opening of Amarika Farmers Cooperative butchery at Outapi on Thursday.

“I would like to urge the Amarika Farmers’ Cooperative to gather more knowledge in terms commercial livestock production to continue supplying meat to the two butcheries in a sustainable manner.
Similarly, the butchery management should continue with product
development and maximize their capacity to be able to supply other region with meat products and ultimately export to other African countries in the near future,” he said.

Schlettwein said the staff members of the cooperative have received training funded by GIZ-F4R on meat handling, meat hygiene and meat processing.

However, only about 60% of cattle slaughtered in the butchery currently are sourced from cooperative members while the remaining 40% is sourced from livestock farmers elsewhere in the Omusati region due to supply shortage and the effects of the reoccurring drought experienced over the years.

“I would like to call upon all the local farmers and residents of the Omusati region to continue supporting the efforts of the Amarika Farmers’ Cooperative in their quest to increase livestock production and in maximising their business profits,” he said.

The cooperative’s deputy chairperson Erickson Kamati told The Namibian that the project is battling a number of challenges that are hindering the farmers from accessing the beef market beyond the red line.

He said at the moment, they source cattle from other farmers in the northern regions because many members of the cooperative have lost their livestock due to the ongoing drought effects.

“It is our wish one day to market our beef products to other parts beyond the red line. We are told that we cannot access the market in the south and other parts beyond the red line, because of the quality of our meat products and fears that our cattle are contaminated with diseases like foot-and-mouth disease. Drought is another setback because many of our farmers are negatively affected, hence some are unable to supply cattle for slaughter. Sometimes when you are hit by drought, you have nothing to slaughter and our farmers are unable to provide cattle for slaughter as well. But we have in the meantime made arrangements with other cooperatives outside Omusati region to provide us with cattle for slaughter in an effort to keep our butcheries running,” he said.

He commended the agriculture ministry for assisting the cooperative with the necessary training and information on meat processing.

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