Lack of meat market afflicts NCA: Mupia

WINDHOEK, 11 MAY  – The Northern Communal Areas (NCA) are feeling the economic pinch amid the presence of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF) and are without a market for their livestock, Opuwo Urban Constituency councillor Weich Mupia has said.
Speaking to Nampa on Wednesday, Mupia said the majority of the Namibian populace is left out of the mainstream meat market.
“The Northern Communal Areas remain backward in terms of finding markets for their livestock. The situation of a lack of market remains the same in Kunene, Omusati, Oshana, Ohangwena, Kavango West, Kavango East, Oshikoto and the Zambezi regions respectively,” said Mupia.
He said the available markets, which are south of the VCF in the commercial areas only cater for the few in those areas, whereas the majority of Namibia are left to suffer.
“Something drastically has to be carried out by government, the community at large and farmer bodies such as farmers associations and unions, to change the marketing situation for the better and improving marketing all over the country,” he said.
Mupia, however, noted that some of farmers from the communal areas were slowly starting to enter the mainstream commercial farms, through the Ministry of Land Reform and the Affirmative Action Farming programme of the Agricultural Bank of Namibia.
Additionally, Mupia lamented the sporadic occurrence of the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) carrying African Buffalo in the Omaheke and Otjozondjupa regions.
“Like now, a buffalo was spotted in Otjozondjupa and another one in Omaheke Region. It means, the restriction of the movement of livestock in the two regions and consequently, no sale of livestock,” he said, adding that this situation exposes the farmers to economic hardship.
This is despite the fact that farmers invest heavily in their livestock, just to suffer immensely as a result of the possible FMD outbreak, he said.
On Namibia’s teetering economy, he said the 2018/19 national budget ought to direct the country out of poverty.
“Once the status quo is allowed to continue, poverty eradication from the side of agriculture as an economic sector will remain a mare pipe dream for years to come,” he concluded.
NAMPA