Government to help boost oxen production

The Windhoek Farmers Association has scooped the national championship of the 2006 Meatco producers’ award. The awards are given to farmers and farmers’ association that have delivered quality slaughter cattle to Meatco in the year. The Windhoek Farmers Association won with 92.6% - the highest percentage of all the 20 associations which participated.

An excited Gerhard Ruch (right) of the Windhoek Farmers Association accepting the Meatco trophy for best oxen producers on behalf of his association.

Meatco hosted the awards on 27 October in Windhoek. Meatco noted that the number of slaughter cattle production is decreasing as many farmers are now looking at weaners production. Speaking at the occasion, the Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Paul Smit said the government is looking into ways that will allow for the growth in slaughter oxen production and the subsequent value addition to products from Namibia to secure jobs on which so many people depend.

Smit said training of emerging farmers will help increase the growth of oxen production. “It is important for farmers, especially the new land owners, to move away from the idea of self sustenance farming and start thinking about farming commercially. The training provided by various organisation and farmers association will help to address this issue which is one of the many causes for the decrease in slaughter cattle in the country,” he said. The beef industry has generated about N$660 million in the last five years. This is through the prices that Meatco producers, salary to employees, and payments to suppliers and other institutions.