Possible levy to support DVS
The Meat Board has proposed a levy to raise funds for the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
The Meat Board of Namibia is investigating the possibility of introducing a levy to support the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
According to the Meat Board, it was confronted by the shortage of funds that was allocated by the agriculture ministry to the directorate.
“It was hence aggravated by the slow release of funds needed by the directorate, because of the bureaucratic processes of the government.”
The Meat Board says a shortage of funds can hamper the efficiency of the directorate, which could potentially lead to restrictions on marketing.
“To overcome the dilemma, the Meat Board has started a consultation process to formulate a proposal to support the directorate with the funding of essential services to enable the directorate to execute export certification with integrity.”
It said this entails establishing a levy specific for this purpose, paid by all the components in the value chain and managed by the Meat Board.
The first round of consultations on the levy proposal has been completed and more consultations are envisaged.
In other news, a role players' perception survey on the activities of the Meat Board has yielded interesting results.
The survey is conducted every three years and was conducted by an independent marketing organisation in August this year.
According to the Meat Board, it has shown an improvement from previous surveys conducted in 2015 and 2017.
Commercial farmers requested more involvement from the Meat Board in the search for new markets, whereas communal farmers expressed a need for more information and mentoring sessions to be facilitated by the Board.
The Meat Board said it would update its strategic plan and communication Strategy accordingly.
WINDHOEK
The Meat Board of Namibia is investigating the possibility of introducing a levy to support the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
According to the Meat Board, it was confronted by the shortage of funds that was allocated by the agriculture ministry to the directorate.
“It was hence aggravated by the slow release of funds needed by the directorate, because of the bureaucratic processes of the government.”
The Meat Board says a shortage of funds can hamper the efficiency of the directorate, which could potentially lead to restrictions on marketing.
“To overcome the dilemma, the Meat Board has started a consultation process to formulate a proposal to support the directorate with the funding of essential services to enable the directorate to execute export certification with integrity.”
It said this entails establishing a levy specific for this purpose, paid by all the components in the value chain and managed by the Meat Board.
The first round of consultations on the levy proposal has been completed and more consultations are envisaged.
In other news, a role players' perception survey on the activities of the Meat Board has yielded interesting results.
The survey is conducted every three years and was conducted by an independent marketing organisation in August this year.
According to the Meat Board, it has shown an improvement from previous surveys conducted in 2015 and 2017.
Commercial farmers requested more involvement from the Meat Board in the search for new markets, whereas communal farmers expressed a need for more information and mentoring sessions to be facilitated by the Board.
The Meat Board said it would update its strategic plan and communication Strategy accordingly.
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