Farmers within the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) received five (5) trucks weighing over 30 tons with trailers and five (5) Portable Ramps. These were acquired under the Livestock Support Programme in the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs) funded through the European Development Fund number 11, at the costs of N$ 20.68 million.
The handover of the Trucks and Trailers aims to reducing the high costs of transporting livestock from farming establishments to Abattoirs as well as Quarantine facilities. This will ensure that farmers gets to participate more actively in the formal livestock markets and the beef value chain, consequently improving the livelihoods of people within NCAs.
Speaking at the handover ceremony of the Trucks as delivered to Meatco, the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform, Inge Zaamwani urged all livestock producers to take advantage of the services offered by the Directorate of Veterinary Services, utilise Quarantine Facilities, Portable Loading Ramps and the soon-to-be completed Artificial Insemination Centre in Okapya.
The Trucks and Trailers will be under the custodianship of Meatco, which will work closely with farmers across the NCAs to ensure fair and equitable transportation schedules. The trucks will specifically be deployed to service all the NCA Abattoirs, namely; Katima Mulilo, Eenhana, Oshakati, Outapi and Rundu.
Zaamwani urged Meatco to safeguard and maintain these assets to ensure they continue delivering benefits for many years to come, in supporting both the current and future generations of farmers.
Zaamwani further emphasised that the supply of equipment alone is not sufficient hence she encouraged farmers to embrace modern and sustainable farming practices that enhance productivity and ensure better land stewardship.
“The true potential of our livestock sub-sector will be realised when farmers shift from purely subsistence practices to embrace technology and innovation enabled farming methods, incorporating rangeland management that improves animal husbandry and strategic breeding”, she said.
In her closing remarks, Zaamwani extended her sincere appreciation to the European Union Delegation for their steadfast support and also thanked the National Planning Commission for their technical support. She encouraged all stakeholders to continue working together, ensure that the resources are managed responsibly and used to their fullest potential not only to transport livestock but to move communal farmers steadily towards greater prosperity and economic development.
