Cabinet is yet to ratify a recommendation on the Small Stock Marketing Scheme, the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) has said. The Namibia Agricultural Union and the Livestock Producers Association requested the Meat Board in February last year to undertake an independent study on the impact of the Small Stock Marketing Scheme on producers.

The study was eventually completed and it was recommended that the scheme be replaced with an N$16 export fee per head. This recommendation must be ratified by Cabinet first and thereafter it will come into force at the beginning of the main marketing season for small stock in March/April.
“We have to report, however, that Cabinet has unfortunately not ratified this recommendation yet and that the status quo regarding the export of small stock is still in force,” the NAU said in its weekly bulletin.
Due to the urgency of the expected upcoming marketing season, the NAU has already requested the Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry to submit the presentation to Cabinet for speedy recommendation.
However, it is not known when the recommendations of the industry will be submitted to Cabinet, the NAU said.