By Deon Schlechter
WINDHOEK – Namibian famers,commercial and communal, are encouraged to take interest in the dairy industry as they could play a significant role to make inroads into industries so far viewed as only for the corporate arena.
Blasius Mokhatu, a dairy expert and one of the motivational speakers that addressed attendants at the first training workshop of the Management and Leadership Expertise cc held in Windhoek, says Namibian products are exported raw and imported as finished products, while local producers can make significant inroads into the vision of Namibia becoming a industrialised country as part of Vision 2030. “Traditionally, many communal and commercial farmers used to make their own milk, cream, fat, butter, etc. but with industrialisation they opt to rather buy the finished products from the market shelves. We the Namibian consumers need to take pride in our own products, consume what we produce, buy from our neighbour to allow for growth of Namibian products and only import what we cannot produce. Therefore I would like to encourage each and every farmer/producer to capitalise on the opportunity offered by DHR Group of Companies to get the training, get the know-how and explore the possibilities of joining the dairy industry. With the right information and attitude you certainly can’t go wrong.”
He says the pioneers of diary production in Namibia are Bonmilk and Rietfontein dairies. Namibia Dairies was later established in 1997 following the merger between Bonmilk and Rietfontein dairies. Namibia Dairies employs about 700 people at its main production plant in Windhoek, the !Aimab Superfarm in Mariental and various depots across Namibia.
“Although Namibia Dairies supply the mainstream Namibian market with dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, cheese, butter etc., South African dairy companies, however, almost have an equal market share and South African dairy products are available in all leading supermarkets. This is demonstrative of either shortage in local supply to meet the dairy products demands of the consumers, or the comparative product pricing therefore South African products find a viable market share here at competitive prices despite transport cost from across the border”, he concludes.