Maria David
NORTHERN Communal Farmers (NCA) abattoirs continue to accumulate debts without making a profit since it was administered by the Namibia Liberation Association to benefits farmers.
In 2014, the association signed an agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture to rent the abattoir facilities in the northern communal areas for 10 years.
President of Namibia National Liberation Veterans Association (NNLVA) Ben Shikongo said at times it takes them two to three months without slaughtering, yet services providers continue to charge with or without workflow.
Shikongo made the remarks during a meeting with farmers at Ondangwa on Wednesday, saying to date the Outapi abattoir is at a standstill because the contractor on site has not finalised the renovation work.
He added that contractors brought in by the Ministry of Agriculture are causing the delay. Sometimes the contractors claim not to have received their payments and “some are just incompetent”.
As a result, the association owes the Northern Electricity Distribution (NORED) close to N$500 000, while NamWater debts stand at close to N$100 000.
“So we put a stop to the abattoir operation so that we just don’t accumulate more debts at the expense of the ministry,” he said.
Further, Shikongo stated that the Eenhana abattoir is the only one operational, despite its various challenges.
Oshana governor Elia Irimari said the effective operation and marketing within the NCA is critical because NCA is home to more than 70% of the country’s population that depends directly on livestock and rangeland resources for their economic well-being and food security.
However, Irimari said that some of the abattoirs within the NCA are still un-operational and without access to lucrative markets. Consequently, the livestock sector’s performance has been significantly affected within the NCA.
“The livestock sector is also affected by low and variable annual rainfall, poor agronomic conditions, inadequate animal husbandry practices and significant market restrictions mainly due to the presence of the Foot-and-Mouth Disease,” he said.
Irimari added that he believes that the NCA abattoirs association will complement government efforts in addressing the challenges faced by abattoirs and farmers within the NCA.
He emphasised that agriculture is a backbone of the country as 70% population indirect or direct depend on farming outputs.
Hence, Irimari said resolving the challenges faced by the section of the northern people will significantly contribute to the wellbeing of the people.
