A survey conducted in February 2023 amongst potential commercially oriented meat producers in the NCAs clearly identify lack of formal marketing opportunities (abattoirs) as the major challenge they face in transforming from being livestock keepers to become commercially oriented beef producers. The urgency of this matter is further compounded by the looming drought conditions in large parts of the country. Being unable to timely destock, farmers are not only going to lose millions of Namibian dollars through cattle deaths again, but the already fragile rangeland resource base will be further destroyed. This is the opinion of Action Forum Namibia (AFN), a recently registered civil rights organization in Namibia.

Since the discontinuation of Meatco operations in the NCAs in 2014, no official marketing channels (abattoirs) are available to the NCA farmer. Recently, the abattoir in Katima Mulilo became operational under the management of Meatco, while we all hope that the newly constructed abattoir in Rundu will become fully operational very soon, says AFN. The other four abattoirs in the NCA namely in Eenhana, Oshakati, Outapi and Opuwo, are non-functional for many years now, leaving livestock farmers with no marketing opportunities. The first three have been renovated for millions of dollars and the operation of the Eenhana and Outapi abattoirs was allocated to The Namibia National Liberation Veterans’ Association in 2017, and that of Oshakati abattoir to KIAT, a consortium of local businessmen, in 2018, but since then very little or no cattle were marketed.

Cattle production and productivity in the NCAs are below standard. Although more cattle are found in the NCAs than south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (red line), it currently contributes less than 2.5% of the total Livestock GDP in the country. This is mainly due to low reproduction rates (below 40%), high mortality rates (>20%), low offtake rates (<4%), low quality of animals, (although the breed – Nguni - is well adapted, inbreeding over many years negatively affected reproduction, production, and quality animals). Most beef currently consumed in the NCAs are imported from south of the VCF, mainly because consumers (e.g., supermarkets, tourism facilities, government institutions, etc.) prefer better beef from younger animals produced under more hygienic conditions that is continuously available. Rangeland condition, exacerbated by the occurrence of frequent droughts, is poor and degraded.

To address this, Namibia some years ago received funding of Euro 20 million from the European Union (EU) for a project called “Support to the Livestock sector in the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) of Namibia”. The purpose of this project is to support livestock farmers in the NCAs to become market-oriented meat producers. There are some 160,000 individual farmers in the NCA of which about 63% or 104,000 own cattle and about 18,500 own herds of 30 or more cattle commonly regarded as the minimum herd size necessary to support a regular off take.

Livestock production off the rangelands in Namibia consists of mainly three major elements or foundations. These foundations are:

• productive and resilient rangeland that provides good quality and quantity forage on a consistent basis.

• effective conversion of the forage to products (e.g., meat and milk).

• that can be sold (marketed) for maximum profit.

Although all three foundations are important, access to good markets that pay good prices for good quality meat, is seen as the catalyst that will create a vacuum to “suck” in technologies like better genetics, lick supplementation, improved herd health and planned grazing systems, just to mention a few. Without proper markets, little or no incentive exists for the NCA livestock farmer to invest in these improved technologies and practices.

The following questions to the relevant authorities are therefore relevant:

• When will these facilities become fully operational?

• Are the current operators the right ones to run such operations?

• Do they have the necessary business acumen with sufficient knowledge, skills, and start-up funding to do so?

• Should, as a matter of urgency, sufficiently qualified and competent operators not be sought for this important activity?

AFN request the relevant authorities to immediately address this burning issue. We owe it to our environment and the farmers in the NCA.