WINDHOEK – Benjamin Van Wyk (Jnr) was announced as Meatco’s Producer of the Year at the corporation’s 2014 annual prestigious event, the Meatco Producer of the Year awards ceremony last Friday at the Wanderers Sports Club.
The company’s guest speaker for this year was Daniel Nowland, Head of Technical at Jamie Oliver in the UK, which focusses on animal welfare and sustainable sourcing for the group. Nowland is also a Director of Humane Farm Animal Care based in the US. This is a charity which runs a certification programme called Certification Humane. Other main speakers at the event inluded the Meatco Board Chairperson Martha Namundjebu-Tilahun who did the welcoming, and the vote of thanks and awards were done by Meatco’s Chief Executive Officer, Advocate Vekuii Rukoro.
Winners at the company’s event of the year for producers were divided in the following categories:
National Braai champions: Deone Schlechter, Silke Mostert, Jörg von Dewitz
Producer of the Month: September 2013 – Werner Richard Heinrich von Maltzahn; October 2013 – Barend Lottering; November 2013 – S. Coetzee; December 2013 – Siebert Jacobus
Briedenhann; January 2014 – Arne Gressmann; February 2014 – Swen Knye; March 2014 – J.H. Botha; April 2014 – E Hoff (Heusis PTY LTD); May 2014 – Siebert Jacobus Briedenhann; June 2014 – D.A. Wilke; July 2014 – Siebert Jacobus Briedenhann; August 2014 – Swen Knye.
Meatco Big Five: Louis Andries Steyn; Konrad H Traeger; Wilfred Hermann Slaney; GP Kotze (Okakuea Ranch CC); Andre Xavier Compion (Ghaub Investment).
Top Communal producers: I Murangi; V Edward Mutjavikua; Hoveka Christofine Mujeu; Ngavetene Amon; Korokuee Usiel; Uazeua Adronikus; David Joel; Tjipuravandu Abiud; Kamatuka Joel; Elga Tjirimuje.
Ekwatho producer of the year: Ralf Torsten Kretzschmar.
NCA Winners (Katima Mulilo – 1 to 50 cattle slaughtered): Second Place – Boniface Sinvula Liswaniso; First Place – Cecilia Likezo Kapelwa.
NCA Winners (Katima Mulilo – 50 and up cattle slaughtered): First Place – Kenneth Kamwi
NCA Winners (Oshakati – 1 to 50 cattle slaughtered): Second Place – Jerobeam Naukushu; First Place – Ananias Amunime.
NCA Winners (Oshakati – 50 and up cattle slaughtered: Second Place – Hafeni Kalola; First Place – Frans Kapofi.
Top 10 Producers: AV Farming; Martin Erhard Koehler; Ulrich Truemper; Benjamin Van Wyk (Jnr); Horst Heinrich Kurt Kronsbein; Werner von Maltzahn; Elandsburg Boerdery; Pommersche Farmgesellschaft; Alt Seeis Farming; Swen Knye.
Producer of the Year: Benjamin Van Wyk (Jnr).
Nowland said the world’s consumer problems come from the densely populated areas. He said 36 million people suffer from hunger, 29 million people eat too much and one third of all food gets wasted. He also talked about what they are doing to promote responsible consumption and how their business examine food industries on a responsible basis, provide and produce food, and Meatco and its systems is a good example of it.
The evening was rounded off with performances by Namibian artist Miss H.