By Wezi Tjaronda
WINDHOEK
The current small stock marketing measures may be replaced with a levy per sheep if Cabinet agrees to the proposal.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry will propose that the current export measures of the Meat Board of six sheep to be slaughtered locally and one sheep to be exported (6:1 ratio) be replaced by a fixed export levy per unit.
The Abattoir Association of Namibia, Namibia Agriculture Union/Livestock Producers’ Organisation and the Meat Board under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Deputy Minister, Paul Smit, last Friday agreed to request the Cabinet to institute a levy on the export of sheep, as an alternative to the existing sheep export ratio.
The agricultural union said in its weekly news-
letter that the proposed levy was N$16 per sheep.
Producers, abattoirs and the development of markets for lamb may benefit from the use of such a levy to promote value addition, Meat Board General Manager, Paul Strydom said.
But the Abattoir Association yesterday said they rejected the proposal because it would kill their business.
“We totally reject the proposal, specifically the N$16 per sheep. Export abattoirs will not survive if the proposal is implemented,” said Diana Mǟ