Windhoek
The Chairperson of the Meatco Board Dr Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun has assured Namibian producers and all African and European markets that there is no reason for panic after traces of the banned growth stimulant Zeranol were detected in cattle urine from the Meatco Okapuka feedlot outside Windhoek.
Speaking to New Era on Sunday, Namundjebo-Tilahun said the situation was under control, adding that the incident was discussed in detail at a Meatco Board meeting last Friday, followed up by in-depth discussions with the Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS).
The detection of Zeranol led to the Okapuka feedlot being put under temporary quarantine as a precautionary measure.
Meatco is the sole exporter of some 1 200 tonnes of beef to the European market and Norway.
Namundjebo-Tilahun slammed the way in which a daily newspaper last Friday presented the detection of the minute level of Zeranol in the urine sample under the headline “Another disaster hits farmers.”
A visibly upset Namundjebo-Tilahun expressed her discontent with the article, saying sensationalised reporting on such a sensitive issue in troubling times for farmers could be even more harmful than detection of the stimulant itself.
Zeranol is a non-steroidal anabolic growth promoter with potent estrogenic activity that is widely used as a growth promoter in the US beef industry but banned in Namibia and the European Union to which Meatco exports beef. The detection of Zeranol comes hours after Meatco was awarded the full Norwegian beef export quota of 12 200 tonnes for this year and while some 8 000 weaners are being prepared for slaughter at the Okapuka feedlot for meat export.
Namundjebo-Tilahun says the Okapuka feedlot could be subjected to a veterinary test process but by yesterday it was unclear whether it would happen and how long it would last. “What I can tell you today is that we have everything under control. There is no need for panic and it is certainly not another disaster for our farmers,” she stressed.
She said Meatco would have the full picture by today and no stone would be left unturned to trace the origin of the Zeranol and ensure the feedlot is declared free of the presence of the stimulant.
“I can tell you now already that we have the solution and want to ensure our producers and markets in Africa and the European Union that Meatco has a policy of zero tolerance for such incidents and we have the mechanisms in place with DVS to deal swiftly and effectively with this kind of thing. Follow-up tests will be conducted and the results will pave the way forward,” she commented.
New Era has it on good authority that only a miniscule amount of Zeranol was detected from the cattle urine sample taken at the feedlot. It was also confirmed that no scientific evidence exists to prove that Zeranol found in the urine of an animal will also then be present in the animal’s meat. The European Union also allows such low level of Zeranol if detected in their feedlots since it poses no risk for human consumption.
Traces of Zeranol were also found in March this year in cattle urine from samples taken at Okapuka. The traces found now are even smaller than those detected in March, Meatco has confirmed.
Meatco has invested more than N$500 million in expanding its feedlot capacity by enlarging the Okapuka feedlot and building new feedlots at Gobabis and Kombat.
Namibian producers – especially communal farmers who produce some 70 percent of all Namibian weaners for export to SA markets – have been hit hard since the new SA import regulations were announced in 2014.
The borders for exports from Namibia were practically closed due to the stringent new rules which were relaxed just two weeks ago and brought new hope for Namibian producers to export weaners again.
Namibian producers annually exported close to 200 000 weaners before the new rules brought exports to a halt.
Role players in the industry yesterday said to New Era that they are praying that Meatco has the Zeranol situation under control as another setback could spell disaster for Namibian producers who are suffering the consequences of the severe drought and the impact of the export regulations.