Annasruh moving forward
With 18 new jobs for the first phase, the Annasruh feedlot at Gobabis is offering new opportunities for marketing of weaners in that region.
Approximately 800 animals were offloaded in the first week at the Annasruh feedlot through the new offloading ramp and sorting station, with the first phase expected to hold up to 3 000 animals.
The first phase of the feedlot that is situated in the Omaheke Region, 10 km west of Gobabis, has been completed and offloading of the first animals using the offloading ramp was done during the end of August.
According to Meatco, constructing the feedlot has created a number of new employment opportunities for the town and region. Furthermore, Meatco has ensured an environmentally friendly feedlot thanks to eight boreholes that are powered either by solar or windmill, while three reservoirs have a capacity of 11 000 cubic metres of water. The aspect of renewable energy sources for the management of underground water was a major factor for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
According to Meatco, following the completion of phase one, phase two will commence with the construction of the next 25 pens. Once the feedlot is complete, the aim is to accommodate 12 000 animals with fully functional facilities, a weighbridge, integration of space, feed, water, waste management and handling facilities.
Meatco employed 18 people in the first phase. With sorting stations currently accommodating between 600 and 800 animals per week, the total standing cattle by the end of 2017 is projected to be 3 000. This will allow farmers to raise their weaners to long weaners (250-350kg) that can be sold to Meatco, rather than forcing farmers to market their animals on the hoof to South Africa under increasingly difficult export conditions.
Once completed, the feedlot will increase marketing opportunities to farmers in the surrounding areas as well as ensure consistent throughput to the Meatco factory. Through Meatco's Backwards Integration Initiatives, Meatco is establishing a third feedlot at Kombat in the Otjozondjupa Region. Meatco will continue to invest in developing feedlots and to support local weaner producers to ensure better returns for farmers/producers.
STAFF REPORTER
The first phase of the feedlot that is situated in the Omaheke Region, 10 km west of Gobabis, has been completed and offloading of the first animals using the offloading ramp was done during the end of August.
According to Meatco, constructing the feedlot has created a number of new employment opportunities for the town and region. Furthermore, Meatco has ensured an environmentally friendly feedlot thanks to eight boreholes that are powered either by solar or windmill, while three reservoirs have a capacity of 11 000 cubic metres of water. The aspect of renewable energy sources for the management of underground water was a major factor for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
According to Meatco, following the completion of phase one, phase two will commence with the construction of the next 25 pens. Once the feedlot is complete, the aim is to accommodate 12 000 animals with fully functional facilities, a weighbridge, integration of space, feed, water, waste management and handling facilities.
Meatco employed 18 people in the first phase. With sorting stations currently accommodating between 600 and 800 animals per week, the total standing cattle by the end of 2017 is projected to be 3 000. This will allow farmers to raise their weaners to long weaners (250-350kg) that can be sold to Meatco, rather than forcing farmers to market their animals on the hoof to South Africa under increasingly difficult export conditions.
Once completed, the feedlot will increase marketing opportunities to farmers in the surrounding areas as well as ensure consistent throughput to the Meatco factory. Through Meatco's Backwards Integration Initiatives, Meatco is establishing a third feedlot at Kombat in the Otjozondjupa Region. Meatco will continue to invest in developing feedlots and to support local weaner producers to ensure better returns for farmers/producers.
STAFF REPORTER
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