Lack of meat market afflicts NCA – Mupia

WINDHOEK – The Northern Communal Areas are feeling the economic pinch mainly brought by the presence of the veterinary cordon fence, which cuts them off from the rest of the country as well as from lucrative markets for their livestock, Opuwo Urban constituency councillor Weich Mupia has said.

Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday, Mupia said the majority of the northern communal farmers are left out of the mainstream meat market.

“The northern communal areas remain backward in terms of finding markets for their livestock. The situation is the same for Kunene, Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Kavango West, Kavango East, Oshikoto as well as the Zambezi regions,” said Mupia.

He said the available markets, which are in the commercial farming areas south of the veterinary fence only cater for the few farmers in those areas, while the majority of northern farmers are left to suffer.

Some of the beef produced south of the cordon fence is exported to Europe and the United States of America. “Something drastically has to be done by the government, the community at large and farmers’ bodies such as farmers’ associations and unions, to change the marketing situation for the better and improve marketing all over the country,” he said.

Mupia noted that some farmers from the communal areas were slowly starting to enter the mainstream commercial farms, through the Ministry of Land Reform and the Affirmative Action Farming programme of the Agricultural Bank of Namibia.

Mupia, however, lamented the sporadic occurrence of the African buffalo that spreads foot-and-mouth disease in the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions.

“Like now, a buffalo was spotted in Otjozondjupa and another one in Omaheke region. It means the restriction of the movement of livestock in the two regions is imposed and consequently, no sales of livestock,” he said, adding that this situation exposes the farmers to economic hardship.

This is despite the fact that farmers invest heavily in their livestock, just to suffer immensely as a result of the possible FMD outbreak, he said.

On Namibia’s lacklustre economy, he said the 2018/19 national budget ought to direct the country out of poverty.

“Once the status quo is allowed to continue, poverty eradication from the agricultural side as an economic sector will remain a mere pipe dream for years to come,” he concluded.

– Nampa

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