Meatco launches drought incentive

NAMIBIA’S largest meat producer, Meatco, kicks off a drought relief initiative for communal farmers today.

It entails the payment of an extra N$35 per head of cattle slaughtered at Meatco’s Oshakati and Katima Mulilo abattoirs between September 24 and January 31 next year, or until the sum set aside for this support is depleted. Announcing the support on Friday, Meatco’s corporate communications manager, Uschi Ramakhutla, said N$100 000 would be made available for this purpose.”We are aware that transport costs make up 80 per cent of all costs for communal farmers.Under normal circumstances, cattle brought in for slaughter would graze in (quarantine) camps and be slaughtered with a slightly decreased weight of 20 kilograms less per animal, which has a major price implication for these farmers,” Ramakhutla said in a statement.As a result of the current drought, cattle weigh even less.”Currently, communal farmers have to pay herders in the quarantine camps N$100 per head of cattle.Meatco will subsidise this cost with N$35 per animal.”Together with the transport support pledged by Government, communal farmers will be better off,” Ramakhutla said.The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry recently pledged drought relief totalling N$100 million to communal and commercial farmers.In terms of this scheme, Government pays half the cost of transporting cattle from communal areas to quarantine camps and from there to abattoirs.For farmers south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence, including commercial farmers, the Ministry will pay 50 per cent of the cost of transporting cattle to emergency grazing areas.These measures came into effect on August 1 and will apply until January 31 next year.Announcing the support on Friday, Meatco’s corporate communications manager, Uschi Ramakhutla, said N$100 000 would be made available for this purpose.”We are aware that transport costs make up 80 per cent of all costs for communal farmers.Under normal circumstances, cattle brought in for slaughter would graze in (quarantine) camps and be slaughtered with a slightly decreased weight of 20 kilograms less per animal, which has a major price implication for these farmers,” Ramakhutla said in a statement.As a result of the current drought, cattle weigh even less.”Currently, communal farmers have to pay herders in the quarantine camps N$100 per head of cattle.Meatco will subsidise this cost with N$35 per animal.”Together with the transport support pledged by Government, communal farmers will be better off,” Ramakhutla said.The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry recently pledged drought relief totalling N$100 million to communal and commercial farmers.In terms of this scheme, Government pays half the cost of transporting cattle from communal areas to quarantine camps and from there to abattoirs.For farmers south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence, including commercial farmers, the Ministry will pay 50 per cent of the cost of transporting cattle to emergency grazing areas.These measures came into effect on August 1 and will apply until January 31 next year.