Meatco reports productive 2008

MORE cattle were slaughtered in the past year at Meatco abattoirs, increasing the throughput by 8,5 per cent, according to Meatco Board Chairman Arne Gressmann.

Presenting the annual report on Friday to the annual general meeting of Meatco, Gressmann said 9 300 more cattle were slaughtered between February 2008 and January this year, increasing the throughput from 109 400 to 118 732 animals.
‘This is the first increase in throughput in three years,’ Gressmann said.
For the current financial year, Meatco expects slaughter to increase to 124 000 head of cattle.
However, the Oshakati and Katima Mulilo abattoirs jointly experienced a decrease from approximately 18 799 to 9 454 cattle in the past year.
The Katima abattoir has been closed for about 18 months due to a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. The chances are that it will be opened in the next few months, as the Caprivi Region has been FMD free for six months. Profits after tax have come down from N$ 37,4 million in 2007 to N$18,2 million in 2008.
Beef exports during 2008 increased from 8 000 tonnes to 9 000 tonnes, mainly to Europe.
‘Our new beef brand ‘Nature’s Reserve’ introduced in 2008 has also contributed,’ according to Meatco Chief Executive Officer Kobus du Plessis. The Nature’s Reserve products are also supplied to the Woolworth supermarket chain in South Africa.
Exports to the US have been in the pipeline for a long time and might be finalised before the end of this year. US authorities are expected to visit Namibia soon to inspect Meatco’s four export abattoirs and its production plant.
Average prices paid to farmers for slaughter cattle came to N$23.60 per kilogramme while higher additional premiums totalling N$ 182,7 million were paid out to farmers, higher than at South African abattoirs.
Both Gressmann and Du Plessis however fear that the price levels for slaughtering cattle might not remain as high as 2008.
‘2009 will no doubt be one of the most challenging years in the history of Meatco with extremely difficult economic conditions, an unfavourable exchange rate and string competition,’ Du Plessis said.
brigitte@namibian
.com.na