Namibian export approved abattoirs now have a golden opportunity to make inroads into the lucrative Middle East market. 

This is after both the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Qatar agreed to import meat from the north and south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (VCF). 

The latest development was announced yesterday by the ministry of agriculture, which called on local export approved abattoirs to take advantage of this market opportunity and engage Halal certifying bodies approved by UAE and Qatar to get accreditation of their export establishments. 

Executive director in the agriculture ministry, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata said export approved abattoirs must start now with engagements with the various importers of meat and meat products in both the UAE and Qatar for registration of the products they intend to export, once their establishments/abattoirs are Halal accredited. 

“Similarly, discussions were held with the Halal accreditation authorities of UAE and Qatar, Food business operators, importers and exporters, Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Halal Trade and Marketing Centre of UAE, which are all main role players in the meat industry value chain of their respective countries,” she said. 

During the exploratory mission, the significance of Halal certification for exporting meat to Muslim-dominated countries like the UAE and Qatar was emphasised. 

Halal certification ensures that meat processing procedures adheres to Islamic dietary laws to make it acceptable for Muslims to consume. If a product contains animals or animal byproducts that are considered haram, then it cannot receive a Halal certification.

Any meat must be slaughtered in accordance with the methods prescribed under Islamic law, known as Zabihah.

The latest agreement is that the exportation of beef from the export approved abattoirs in the Northern Communal Areas will be heading to Qatar, while exportation of beef and lamb from South of the Veterinary Cordon goes to the UAE.

Namibia is a net exporter of red meat and already exported to, among others, the US, China and Norway, but these cattle and sheep were produced south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence.

Opportunity 

The political unrest in Sudan opened an additional export market for red meat from Namibia in the Middle East. The UAE had emerged as a market for the exportation of red meat, having previously imported about 80% of its meat from Sudan, but the turbulence in that country had made further imports highly problematic. This created an ideal opportunity for Namibia to access that specific market. 

- ohembapu@nepc.com.na