Dilapidated northern quarantine facility blamed for poor meat quality
A lack of animal quarantine services has been highlighted in a petition to the National Assembly.
A dilapidated quarantine facility, which serves the Kunene, Omusati and Oshana regions, was raised in the petition by Lisha Empowerment and Development, calling on the National Assembly to address the urgent need to revive the market in Namibia’s northern communal areas (NCAs).
It was tabled by Speaker Peter Katjavivi and was discussed last week at a public hearing by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration.
According to the petition, the animal quarantine services for Kunene, Omusati and Oshana fall under the directorate of veterinary services.
It said the Eloolo abattoir at Oshakati and the Outapi abattoir were created to provide sustainable market access for slaughter livestock procured from farmers in these regions.
“To date, however, resident livestock farmers residing in such regions are no longer able to sustainably sell their livestock as quarantine facility and abattoirs, under the watch of the agriculture ministry, collapsed simultaneously 12 years ago.”
One borehole, no electricity
The petition said for over a decade, the Omutambo Maowe quarantine facility has been unable to provide effective service due to dilapidated infrastructure.
Meanwhile, of the 13 boreholes previously installed at the facility, only one was functioning as of September 2022, it said.
The petition further noted that in July 2022, the facility was without electricity and employees at the site said that the previously installed generator had been broken for eight years.
Furthermore, livestock holding camps on the 24 000 hectare farm were without fencing at numerous places.
Interventions
A sustainable market for livestock in Namibia’s NCAs requires distinct interventions, it said. These are effective quarantine services to allow procurement of healthy meat products, effective abattoirs to ensure that animal slaughter and meat value chain processing continues, and an effective programme that seeks to attain genetic improvement of local livestock as a strategic long-term investment.
Apart from making animals disease-free, no efforts have been made to improve the quality of abattoir-bound slaughter livestock, the petition read.
“This explains why over the years the local abattoirs continued to receive poor-quality animals, resulting in poor-quality meat products and no sustainable markets.”
According to the petition, a formal submission was made by the Super Group of Companies to rent the land the quarantine facility is on and carry out necessary renovations. It also offered to finance the resumption of livestock procurement, to produce 100 stud bulls per year and have these distributed to farmers for free as a long-term investment for genetic improvement, as well as to build a school and clinic.
This submission was reportedly ignored for three years and when Lisha followed up, the ministry declined the offer.
A dilapidated quarantine facility, which serves the Kunene, Omusati and Oshana regions, was raised in the petition by Lisha Empowerment and Development, calling on the National Assembly to address the urgent need to revive the market in Namibia’s northern communal areas (NCAs).
It was tabled by Speaker Peter Katjavivi and was discussed last week at a public hearing by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration.
According to the petition, the animal quarantine services for Kunene, Omusati and Oshana fall under the directorate of veterinary services.
It said the Eloolo abattoir at Oshakati and the Outapi abattoir were created to provide sustainable market access for slaughter livestock procured from farmers in these regions.
“To date, however, resident livestock farmers residing in such regions are no longer able to sustainably sell their livestock as quarantine facility and abattoirs, under the watch of the agriculture ministry, collapsed simultaneously 12 years ago.”
One borehole, no electricity
The petition said for over a decade, the Omutambo Maowe quarantine facility has been unable to provide effective service due to dilapidated infrastructure.
Meanwhile, of the 13 boreholes previously installed at the facility, only one was functioning as of September 2022, it said.
The petition further noted that in July 2022, the facility was without electricity and employees at the site said that the previously installed generator had been broken for eight years.
Furthermore, livestock holding camps on the 24 000 hectare farm were without fencing at numerous places.
Interventions
A sustainable market for livestock in Namibia’s NCAs requires distinct interventions, it said. These are effective quarantine services to allow procurement of healthy meat products, effective abattoirs to ensure that animal slaughter and meat value chain processing continues, and an effective programme that seeks to attain genetic improvement of local livestock as a strategic long-term investment.
Apart from making animals disease-free, no efforts have been made to improve the quality of abattoir-bound slaughter livestock, the petition read.
“This explains why over the years the local abattoirs continued to receive poor-quality animals, resulting in poor-quality meat products and no sustainable markets.”
According to the petition, a formal submission was made by the Super Group of Companies to rent the land the quarantine facility is on and carry out necessary renovations. It also offered to finance the resumption of livestock procurement, to produce 100 stud bulls per year and have these distributed to farmers for free as a long-term investment for genetic improvement, as well as to build a school and clinic.
This submission was reportedly ignored for three years and when Lisha followed up, the ministry declined the offer.
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