N$25 million feedlot for Etunda scheme

THE Etunda farm near Ruacana will receive a feedlot to feed young calves or weaners until they reach the right weight for slaughter.

It will be the first feedlot in Namibia’s northern communal area (NCA). Meatco, in collaboration with the Green Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, the Meat Board and the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU), will establish the cattle feedlot at Etunda so that it will be integrated with the irrigation scheme development.Construction is scheduled to start early next year.”After nearly two years of negotiations, Government has finally approved the feedlot at Etunda,” Meatco said in a statement at the end of last week.”Nearly N$25 million will be invested in the project.This investment in the NCA will not only ensure sustainable beef production, but also contribute to the betterment of living standards of communities.”The idea is to create a sustainable beef production and marketing channel for farmers in the northern communal areas and the feedlot will target weaners in the Kunene, North Central and Kavango regions.The capacity will be around 2 600 cattle, which will be fed there for 90 to 100 days.The project will ultimately boost the economy of the NCA.Meatco received approval from the Ministry of Agriculture in September this year to develop phase 6 (150 hectares) and at a later stage move to phases 7 & 8 permanently.The feedlot site has been identified and will be built on a 27-hectare plot with enough extra room for future developments.Meatco has applied through the Rural Poverty Reduction Programme (RPRP) for donor funding to establish the feedlot at Etunda.Parallel to that, to secure its own feed source, an irrigation project will also be established there.The total funding from the RPRP for the feedlot development amounts to N$14,9 million.Meatco envisages lending an additional N$11 million for the agronomic development.The feedlot will also source fodder from the existing irrigation scheme for small-scale farmers and will supply them with manure from the feedlot for their fields.According to Meatco’s Assistant Manager for the NCA, Cyprianus Khaiseb, the community and in particular the farming community will greatly benefit from the project as a new market for young animals will be created.”This means lower risks for farmers as they do not have to keep their animals for long periods of time, while it ensures them cash on the spot when they sell their weaners to the feedlot.”Furthermore, by establishing a feedlot, the pressure on grazing will be reduced and farmers can raise better quality animals because of the better carrying capacity of the land.This is beneficial for the ecology as well in the long run, as overgrazing and soil erosion can be decreased.”Meatco, in collaboration with the Green Scheme of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, the Meat Board and the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU), will establish the cattle feedlot at Etunda so that it will be integrated with the irrigation scheme development.Construction is scheduled to start early next year.”After nearly two years of negotiations, Government has finally approved the feedlot at Etunda,” Meatco said in a statement at the end of last week.”Nearly N$25 million will be invested in the project.This investment in the NCA will not only ensure sustainable beef production, but also contribute to the betterment of living standards of communities.”The idea is to create a sustainable beef production and marketing channel for farmers in the northern communal areas and the feedlot will target weaners in the Kunene, North Central and Kavango regions.The capacity will be around 2 600 cattle, which will be fed there for 90 to 100 days.The project will ultimately boost the economy of the NCA.Meatco received approval from the Ministry of Agriculture in September this year to develop phase 6 (150 hectares) and at a later stage move to phases 7 & 8 permanently.The feedlot site has been identified and will be built on a 27-hectare plot with enough extra room for future developments.Meatco has applied through the Rural Poverty Reduction Programme (RPRP) for donor funding to establish the feedlot at Etunda.Parallel to that, to secure its own feed source, an irrigation project will also be established there.The total funding from the RPRP for the feedlot development amounts to N$14,9 million.Meatco envisages lending an additional N$11 million for the agronomic development.The feedlot will also source fodder from the existing irrigation scheme for small-scale farmers and will supply them with manure from the feedlot for their fields.According to Meatco’s Assistant Manager for the NCA, Cyprianus Khaiseb, the community and in particular the farming community will greatly benefit from the project as a new market for young animals will be created.”This means lower risks for farmers as they do not have to keep their animals for long periods of time, while it ensures them cash on the spot when they sell their weaners to the feedlot.”Furthermore, by establishing a feedlot, the pressure on grazing will be reduced and farmers can raise better quality animals because of the better carrying capacity of the land.This is beneficial for the ecology as well in the long run, as overgrazing and soil erosion can be decreased.”