Windhoek
More commonly known as the secretary-general of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Job Muniaro became Meatco’s first Communal Producer of the Year.
Therefore he received a N$35,000 Simmentaler bull from Meatco. The bull was handed over to him earlier this month at Rooi Duin by Meatco’s procurement officer, Paul Tjaimba. Muniaro says the marketing of cattle involves more than just achieving the highest price for animals and involves producing a product the market wants and marketing that animal through the best outlet and at the best time. According to Tjaimba the bull was selected as a prize for Muniaro since the beef yield from the Simmentaler breed is very high, with a good ratio between meat and waste products like fat and bone. The beef is also well marbled, giving it good tenderness and adding to its marketability. Cattle that are only half-Simmentaler still inherit the genes that make their finished carcasses an excellent source of high-quality beef, meaning that the producer will certainly increase his product quality. Meatco aims to add profitability to the way communal producers farm so that they can rear cattle of good quality for the markets.
Having grown up in a family of farmers, Muniaro who was raised in Aminuis – had a love for livestock from a young age. This love grew even more on the resettlement farm Rooi Duin in the Rietfontein area in the Omaheke region.
“Since I began farming, becoming a top producer has always been a dream of mine. I have read extensively on producers that have achieved success and employ similar strategies on my farm. I attended every Agra course possible to improve my knowledge and on weekends, I put what I had learned into practice. I still do so.”
As a bachelor Muniaro jumped at the opportunity to start farming at Rooi Duin five years ago after he had built up considerable knowledge and practical skills in farming. He started on a very small scale and had to change animal breed crossings a few times to ultimately decide on a cross between Brahman and Simmentaler, which gave him the quantity and quality meat he needed to market to Meatco. “One has to sweat to get a quality dollar in the pocket. It took me around five years to reach this goal with a maximum of 200 cattle as core stock, along with 200 goats and sheep. In the process, I learned many tough lessons like having to write-off animals on the road to gain the best quality. Success does not come overnight. It is a long and tough road that requires dedication, passion and vast knowledge on all aspects of farming,” he says.
Muniaro adds that he is very happy and will never sell his cattle to any abattoir except Meatco, thanks to their excellent support and service.