Windhoek
Wright, who was not available for re-election due to the illness of his wife and is replaced by Ryno van der Merwe, says in his last annual report as president of NAU that NAU and government must therefore continue to meet to seek solutions to address these major challenges. Hoping that the Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) in the Northern Communal Areas(NCAs) has been halted, he slated the unilateral bureaucratic decision making by Namibia’s major trading partner, South Africa, who wished to introduce new animal health requirements for live animals to enter SA.
“This action by veterinary services in SA, supported by the Red Meat Producers Association of SA, appears to be more of a trade embargo to protect the interest of their livestock producers, despite the fact that SA does not produce sufficient protein itself to feed its population, and has to import processed meat products from countries like Argentina and Brazil,” he notes.
Wright hailed the newly accepted protocol that will allow Namibia to export bone-in beef to China at an expected much lower processing cost into the massive Chinese market.
Wright says Namibian livestock producers have an internationally respected reputation for excellence in terms of their animal health status, one that Namibia needs to protect and one that the government should recognise and communicate with organised agriculture when determining policy to obtain input on the needs of producers.
“At the same time, government needs to examine the reasons for the fact that the contribution of agriculture to the Gross Domestic Product of Namibia has reduced from 7.4 percent in 1980 to only 3.2 percent currently. In conclusion, he hailed government for the initiation and compilation of the Namibia Rangeland Forum to address an overall strategy for improving rangeland management in Namibia.