WINDHOEK – One of the most daunting tasks awaiting the Namibian meat industry is to improve the animal health situation north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (Red Line) since an internationally acceptable animal health status is the prerequisite for meat exports to any market.
To achieve this life-long dream, the Directorate of Veterinary services (DVS) is now, with financial assistance of the Millennium Challenge Account (MCA), preparing a dossier that will be presented to the International Animal Health Organisation (OIE) to uplift the animal health status of the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs). This was revealed by the General Manager of the Meat Board of Namibia, Paul Strydom, who says it is imperative to achieve such status in order to compete for more profitable markets for meat north of the so-called Red Line. Strydom stressed that times, as well as requirements have changed and that even countries with a weaker animal health status insist meat imports must come from countries with a declared animal health status. He says the only way to achieve this is by coupling international animal health status to the NCAs. The Meat Board is delivering a supportive role to the DVS regarding the administration of the project.
Strydom said an even more important task for the industry is to maintain meat exports to the European Union (EU) as part of the SADC and EU’s Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The Namibian Agricultural Union’s EPA expert, Wallie Roux, recently attended a two-day high level dialogue on EPA’s in Franschoek, South Africa, which was initiated by the Dutch ministry of foreign affairs and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). Little progress was forthcoming since the last meeting in October 2013 and the reason for this is probably because the EU’s deadline for final decisions is only in October this year. The next round of high-level dialogue is scheduled for March. The delay is blamed on South Africa as a member of the SADC-EU-EPA negotiations and demands for more privileges, which are slowing down Namibia’s case and frustrating the process. Strydom says the Meat Board and the DVS and beef exporters are constantly on the look-out for alternative markets to be in a state of preparedness, should the deadline of October 01, 2014 for signing of the EPA agreement not be met. “In this regard, the DVS is negotiating entrance to markets in the USA, Russia, China and Hong Kong, but up to date no alternative markets like the lucrative EU market have sprung up,” Strydom was quoted saying in the latest edition of the Meat Board’s quarterly magazine, Meat Chronicle.
By Deon Schlechter