MPs have a beef with Meatco

COMMUNAL cattle farmers are severely disadvantaged by the veterinary cordon fence stretching from the coast to the Botswana border, says a Cabinent Minister.

They cannot sell their cattle under the same conditions as commercial farmers south of that fence, Justice Minister and Attorney General Pendukeni Iivula-Ithana, said in the National Assembly on Thursday. She was speaking during debate on the prevailing drought.There were about three million head of cattle north of the so-called Red Line, but marketing opportunities were limited and if these animals passed the three-week quarantine, only one company, Meatco, had the monopoly to transport those animals and to slaughter them.The Minister, who is the co-owner of a butchery in northern Namibia, wanted to know from Agriculture Minister Nickey Iyambo why this monopoly was tolerated and why communal farmers north of the cordon fence were not allowed to sell their cattle at national auctions like commercial farmers.”What is the reason preventing cattle which have gone through the quarantine system from being taken across the Red Line by their owners instead of Meatco? Should this be true, then there are concerted efforts in certain quarters to keep communal farmers in perpetual poverty while serving as suppliers for Meatco,” the Justice Minister charged.”The monopoly status given to Meatco as the sole buyer and transporter of live cattle form the quarantine camps should be examined seriously to expose this exploitative system and put an end to it,” Iivula-Ithana demanded.”There is a belief among communal farmers, which I believe is true, that Meatco buys their cattle for peanuts, transport them across the Red Line and then sells the meat products on international markets where the prices are much higher,” the Minister claimed.”We are enriching one organisation (Meatco), whose beneficiaries are commercial farmers.”Value addition on meat products, including hides and skins, should take place locally and not in South Africa, where thousands of livestock are sold on the hoof and jobs created, instead of back at home in Namibia, she added.She asked that more cattle auction pens should be established in each region, preferably in each constituency in rural areas.Minister Iyambo told the House that although Government planned to remove the Red Line in about ten years’ time, it prevented animal diseases from spreading to commercial areas.”The fence guarantees meat exports to international markets,” he said.”Namibia has a 13 000-tonne beef export quota to the European Union, but we do not manage to export the full amount.”He also pointed out that the open border with Angola caused challenges with regard to the spread of animal diseases.The debate continues this week.|She was speaking during debate on the prevailing drought.There were about three million head of cattle north of the so-called Red Line, but marketing opportunities were limited and if these animals passed the three-week quarantine, only one company, Meatco, had the monopoly to transport those animals and to slaughter them.The Minister, who is the co-owner of a butchery in northern Namibia, wanted to know from Agriculture Minister Nickey Iyambo why this monopoly was tolerated and why communal farmers north of the cordon fence were not allowed to sell their cattle at national auctions like commercial farmers.”What is the reason preventing cattle which have gone through the quarantine system from being taken across the Red Line by their owners instead of Meatco? Should this be true, then there are concerted efforts in certain quarters to keep communal farmers in perpetual poverty while serving as suppliers for Meatco,” the Justice Minister charged.”The monopoly status given to Meatco as the sole buyer and transporter of live cattle form the quarantine camps should be examined seriously to expose this exploitative system and put an end to it,” Iivula-Ithana demanded.”There is a belief among communal farmers, which I believe is true, that Meatco buys their cattle for peanuts, transport them across the Red Line and then sells the meat products on international markets where the prices are much higher,” the Minister claimed.”We are enriching one organisation (Meatco), whose beneficiaries are commercial farmers.”Value addition on meat products, including hides and skins, should take place locally and not in South Africa, where thousands of livestock are sold on the hoof and jobs created, instead of back at home in Namibia, she added.She asked that more cattle auction pens should be established in each region, preferably in each constituency in rural areas.Minister Iyambo told the House that although Government planned to remove the Red Line in about ten years’ time, it prevented animal diseases from spreading to commercial areas.”The fence guarantees meat exports to international markets,” he said.”Namibia has a 13 000-tonne beef export quota to the European Union, but we do not manage to export the full amount.”He also pointed out that the open border with Angola caused challenges with regard to the spread of animal diseases.The debate continues this week.|