Hertta-Maria Amutenja
Chairperson of the Economics and Public Administration Parliamentary Standing Committee Natangue Ithete, has emphasised the pressing need for tangible policies that can address the persistent challenges faced by livestock farmers in Namibia.
The call was made during a Public Hearing held last week when the committee engaged with representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform (MAWLR) and the Meat Board of Namibia in response to a petition submitted by the Civic Organisation, Lisha Empowerment and Development last year.
The petition appealed to the National Assembly to revive the market for livestock in Namibia’s Northern Communal Areas (NCAs).
The petition stated that livestock farmers in the Kunene, Omusati, and Oshana regions find themselves unable to sustainably sell their livestock within the jurisdiction covered by DVS-managed quarantine facilities located at Omutambo Maowe farm in the Omusati region.
According to the petition, the situation has led to a circumstance where livestock farmers have been unable to sell slaughtered animals for over 11 years, leaving them grappling with feelings of hopelessness, hunger and poverty.
The petition highlights several issues, including the lack of a viable and sustainable market for the NCAs, the underdevelopment of the livestock market by MAWLR, insufficient quarantine services for the region, and the absence of an effective program to enhance the quality of procured livestock before slaughter.
Furthermore, the petition underscores the deficiency of functional abattoirs in the areas.
Ithete, expressing the need for resolution, stated, “I want to see these challenges resolved let’s come up with policies that can resolve these issues.”
