The Mariental Abattoir, formerly known as Farmers Meat Market, will restart commercial operations in October 2022, according to an announcement by The Hartlief Group, a division of the Ohlthaver & List (O&L) Group. The abattoir closed in August 2020.
Due to the scarcity of sheep following the terrible droughts Namibia has experienced since 2013, the abattoir that O&L formally took over through the Hartlief Group was forced to close. But following two successive good rain seasons and a rise in the number of animals available on the local market, along with an increase in demand for Namibian meat, the Group was compelled to resume the abattoir’s operations. The restart of the abattoir will help O&L’s mission of “Creating a future, enhancing life” by providing a market for small stock producers with better prices and job possibilities in the Hardap area.
Günther Ling, Managing Director (MD) of the Hartlief Group, says: “The re-opening and the regional and international certification of the abattoir is a significant achievement, not only for Hartlief and the O&L Group but for Namibian small stock farmers and the country at large. This route to market for Namibian producers allows us to become an international player and export our quality Namibian lamb with pride. This new business will also enable us to better meet the need to become food secure.”
The export abattoir will formally begin with local and regional supply and is anticipated to deliver its first shipment to Norway in November 2022. It is now waiting for certification to export worldwide. By obtaining export status, Mariental Abattoir is able to take advantage of the lucrative, untapped global market, as well as SADC and perhaps the larger African market, which offers significant potential and growth opportunities for the company as well as Namibia as a whole.
