Meatco's communal producer plan

Meatco last week invited key leaders from the Otjozondjupa Communal Farmers Union (OCFU) and the Omaheke Regional Farmers Union (ORFU) to share with them its plans to establish beneficial business communications with communal producers in Namibia.At the meeting, Meatco presented three options under which it aims to sustainably conduct business with communal producers going forward. The basis of all three options is to form a contractual beneficial partnership with marketing structures in the communal areas in order to develop, capacitate and empower those structures to be relevant within their own communities. According to Meatco's manager for communal livestock procurement, Patrick Liebenberg, the benefits of animals from communal areas should go directly to the producers and the structures organised from within these areas.“Communal farmers are important to the entire cattle value chain and that should be taken into account from the initial purchasing of animals. “The magnitude of communal farmers is just massive and it needs to be coordinated properly. “Therefore, farmers and Meatco must take hands and meet each other halfway. More so, when it come to the choice between the production systems of weaner or oxen,” said Liebenberg.In response, the two farmers unions concluded that they would take the options presented and deliberate on them and thereafter, seek an audience with Meatco, before October. This is after they have done a study to identify the strengths and weaknesses of all the options and decided on the most beneficial and practical one for the members they represent.According to Meatco the meeting was an open conversation centred on how the company and the Namibian communal producers can take each other's hands and move towards a common goal. Furthermore, Meatco outlined and established the significant value communal producers can add to its business model through the Meatco Foundation. It also considered how this could be realised by keeping Meatco's doors open and how communal farmers can provide adequate numbers of cattle for the coming financial year (2020/21), taking into consideration the current persistent drought situation. STAFF REPORTER

Meatco's communal producer plan

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-06

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Meatco's communal producer plan

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-06

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