First beef leaves for China
In what can only be described as a boon for Namibian farmers at this time, Meatco now has access to two major markets, the United States and China.
The first consignment of 24 tons of Namibian beef left Windhoek for Beijing on Thursday, destined for restaurants and retailers in China.
The China-based distribution agent, Di Guangtao, was present along with the agriculture and trade ministers, Alpheus !Naruseb and Tjekero Tweya, as the consignment was loaded.
According to Jannie Breytenbach, Meatco's acting CEO, the company has received 40 others for Namibian beef from seven new clients.
Thursday's consignment consisted of vacuum-packed cuts, frozen cuts and beef with bone in. Offal products, including oxtail, may not yet be exported in terms of the agreement, Breytenbach explained.
The bilateral agreement for the export of beef to China, only the second African country to do so, was signed in 2016 but, lumpy skin disease in the northern communal areas brought the process to a halt. In February 2018, the moratorium on exports was lifted.
Yang Jun, deputy Chinese ambassador said that the Chinese market comprises of 1.4 billion consumers for Namibian beef. He added that although South Africa was the first African country permitted to export meat to China, this was halted by a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak last year.
In December last year, Namibia succeeded, following almost a decade of negotiations, to send its first test consignment to the United States. According to Tweya, this was a first for Africa.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that beef consumption in the United States is four times that of the global average.
Per capita, Americans eat on average, 27 kilogrammes of beef per year, the OECD said in 2018. There are 328 million Americans.
The American department of agriculture's research indicates that China consumed 8.5 million tons of beef in 2018 indicating a per capita consumption of 6 kilogrammes per annum.
Rosa Thobias, corporate affairs manager at Meatco told Namibian Sun that the American consignment was a “remarkable achievement” due to the American health and customs protocols.
Goliath Tujendapi, trade manager at the Meat Board explained that the protracted negotiations with the United States relied not on Namibia but on the country that is importing.
Breytenbach added that the current throughput at Meatco's abattoir due to the protracted drought has allowed for ample supply to service these two new export markets while Tweya added that the United Arab Emirates will be the next market for Namibian beef.
The China-based distribution agent, Di Guangtao, was present along with the agriculture and trade ministers, Alpheus !Naruseb and Tjekero Tweya, as the consignment was loaded.
According to Jannie Breytenbach, Meatco's acting CEO, the company has received 40 others for Namibian beef from seven new clients.
Thursday's consignment consisted of vacuum-packed cuts, frozen cuts and beef with bone in. Offal products, including oxtail, may not yet be exported in terms of the agreement, Breytenbach explained.
The bilateral agreement for the export of beef to China, only the second African country to do so, was signed in 2016 but, lumpy skin disease in the northern communal areas brought the process to a halt. In February 2018, the moratorium on exports was lifted.
Yang Jun, deputy Chinese ambassador said that the Chinese market comprises of 1.4 billion consumers for Namibian beef. He added that although South Africa was the first African country permitted to export meat to China, this was halted by a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak last year.
In December last year, Namibia succeeded, following almost a decade of negotiations, to send its first test consignment to the United States. According to Tweya, this was a first for Africa.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) says that beef consumption in the United States is four times that of the global average.
Per capita, Americans eat on average, 27 kilogrammes of beef per year, the OECD said in 2018. There are 328 million Americans.
The American department of agriculture's research indicates that China consumed 8.5 million tons of beef in 2018 indicating a per capita consumption of 6 kilogrammes per annum.
Rosa Thobias, corporate affairs manager at Meatco told Namibian Sun that the American consignment was a “remarkable achievement” due to the American health and customs protocols.
Goliath Tujendapi, trade manager at the Meat Board explained that the protracted negotiations with the United States relied not on Namibia but on the country that is importing.
Breytenbach added that the current throughput at Meatco's abattoir due to the protracted drought has allowed for ample supply to service these two new export markets while Tweya added that the United Arab Emirates will be the next market for Namibian beef.
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