Another incentive scheme for NCA

THE Ministry of Agriculture Water and Forestry has made funds available for the Northern Communal Areas Cattle Marketing Incentive Scheme that will be implemented between March 1 and November 30 2007.

This comes in the wake of low utilisation of abattoirs despite the relatively high number of cattle in the Northern Communal Areas (NCA). The Meat Board of Namibia has been requested to administer the Northern Communal Areas Cattle Marketing Incentive Scheme in the Northern Communal Areas of Caprivi, Kavango, Kunene North, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto.Only abattoirs with weighing facilities, and registered with the Meat Board, qualify to participate in the scheme.”The costs incurred in the marketing chain, for example transport to and from quarantine facilities and weight and grade losses, are some of the factors that influence the low off-take and underutilisation of abattoirs in the Northern Communal Areas,” the Meat Board said on Friday.The scheme is meant to assist producers in the NCA to cover some of the costs incurred by the compulsory quarantining of their cattle.Cattle for export need to be quarantined 21 days pre-slaughter and beef 21 days post-slaughter.The objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers to sell their cattle in order to increase off-take, thereby increasing income and improving the utilisation of abattoirs.All grade classes, except condemned carcasses, will qualify for an incentive bonus of N$1 per kg in addition to the weekly price.Cold carcass dress weight shall be used to determine the total incentive a producer will receive.Meatco will provide a support bonus of N$0,50 per kilogramme at slaughtering in supporting producers with quarantine-related costs.The Meat Board of Namibia has been requested to administer the Northern Communal Areas Cattle Marketing Incentive Scheme in the Northern Communal Areas of Caprivi, Kavango, Kunene North, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana and Oshikoto.Only abattoirs with weighing facilities, and registered with the Meat Board, qualify to participate in the scheme.”The costs incurred in the marketing chain, for example transport to and from quarantine facilities and weight and grade losses, are some of the factors that influence the low off-take and underutilisation of abattoirs in the Northern Communal Areas,” the Meat Board said on Friday.The scheme is meant to assist producers in the NCA to cover some of the costs incurred by the compulsory quarantining of their cattle.Cattle for export need to be quarantined 21 days pre-slaughter and beef 21 days post-slaughter.The objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers to sell their cattle in order to increase off-take, thereby increasing income and improving the utilisation of abattoirs.All grade classes, except condemned carcasses, will qualify for an incentive bonus of N$1 per kg in addition to the weekly price.Cold carcass dress weight shall be used to determine the total incentive a producer will receive.Meatco will provide a support bonus of N$0,50 per kilogramme at slaughtering in supporting producers with quarantine-related costs.