The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has approved Savanna Beef Processors’ application to export beef to the United Kingdom, the European Union and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries.
This was confirmed by Savanna board of directors chairperson Mecki Schneider on Friday.
Schneider said the company received the certificate to export and will start to slaughter the first cattle for export on Monday next week.
“It will also be the first cattle slaughtered that were traded on the Namibia Securities Exchange under the newly implemented slaughter right trading system,” he said in a brief note to members of the Beef Value Chain Forum and shareholders of Savanna Beef.
Savanna Beef, which has been operating at low capacity while awaiting export certification, plans to slaughter about 50 000 head of cattle per year.
“The task team and board of Savanna Beef are delighted to inform you that we have just received the export certification – as a beef export abattoir with establishment approval number NA37 – to the UK, the EU and EFTA countries,” Schneider said.
“This has been a long process but is a big milestone and was one of the main focus points over the last three years.”
The EFTA is made up of four European countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.
Savanna Beef, a new producer-driven export beef processor, has about 730 shareholders who have invested about N$400 million into the company to date, including N$290 million in private equity funding, which was recently bolstered by an additional N$40 million from BPF Windsor Holdings Ltd.
The non-transferable certificate of approval states that Savanna Beef will export matured deboned chilled or frozen beef cuts to Great Britain, including the Channel Islands and Isle of Man, the European Union and EFTA countries.
The certificate, which is subject to renewal annually, was issued on 7 April and will expire on 7 April 2027.
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