Rundu abattoir almost ready for Qatar market
Rundu abattoir handed over to Meatco as an operator
The agriculture ministry has confirmed that it has succeeded in securing market access for meat from the NCA to Qatar.
Meat from the northern communal areas (NCAs) is ready to be exported to Qatar as soon as Halal accreditation has been finalised.Deputy agriculture minister Anna Shiweda said this during her motivation for the ministry’s budget.
She said the ministry succeeded in securing market access for meat from the NCA to Qatar and that the Rundu abattoir has been handed over to Meatco as an operator, as was resolved by Cabinet.
“This abattoir was registered as an export abattoir in March 2024 and is ready to export to Qatar once the Halal accreditation has been finalised.”
In addition, the ministry also secured an export market to the United Arab Emirates for meat south of the veterirnary-cordon fence (VCF).
To prevent animal disease outbreaks in the NCAs, 451 390 cattle were vaccinated against foot and mouth disease (FMD), while 604 138 cattle were vaccinated against contagious bovine pleuropneumonia or lung sickness.
"Equally, the government has invested in livestock value chain infrastructure in the NCAs to unlock the economic potential for the producers in the NCAs," Shiweda said.
The Katima Mulilo abattoir continues to sell Namibian beef products to the south of the VCF, with 16 consignments of 168.7 tonnes, and to regional markets such as Ghana, with one consignment of 22.31 tonnes, and Angola, with four consignments totalling 100.9 tonnes.
Opening doors
She said the operationalisation of the Oshakati abattoir has been delayed by the ongoing arbitration process between the operator and the government.
The Eenhana abattoir, a local market abattoir, is operational, while the upgrading of the Outapi abattoir has been completed.
She said that servicing and testing of equipment are expected to be concluded by the end of June, while the operation of the abattoir is expected to commence at the beginning of July.
Shiweda said the Ongwediva meat processing plant is at an advanced stage and is expected to be completed by the end of June.
She said the ministry, with the assistance of the European Development Fund under the Livestock Support Programme, is in the process of upgrading the Opuwo slaughterhouse to at least a C-class abattoir during the 2024–2025 financial year.
The Veterinary Service Programme, under the im-provement of animal health category, received N$82 million, while the beef value chain section received N$22 million during the 2023–2024 fi-nancial year. For the 2024–2025 financial year, N$87 million and N$22.6 million, respectively, were allocated to these sections of the Veterinary Service Programme.