Namibia: Study to assess organic meat markets

16 March 2010, New Era
URL: http://www.newera.com.na/article.php?articleid=9966

Windhoek:  An agreement for a one-year study to assess the potential of Namibia’s organic meat production and markets in the European Union and Finland was signed last Friday.  The study that will cost close to N$400 000 is sponsored by the Finnish Embassy to the Meat Board, upon the latter’s request.

Namibia’s livestock producers produce red meat, primarily beef and lamb, for the European Union, Norway, South Africa and Namibia.  The study will consider all red meat, including goat, sheep and game meat.

Chairperson of the Meat Board, Job Hengari, said legal requirements, natural grazing and good agricultural practices provide the potential for organic meat production in Namibia.

Organic meat production and marketing could further bring in additional income to the meat industry, which could include livestock producers.

Hengari said there is thus a strong need to assess the qualitative and quantitative potential for organic red meat production in Namibia and markets for organic meat from Namibia.

Chargé d’Affaires of the Finnish Embassy, Asko Luukkainen, said the demand for organic foods – which are sold at higher prices – is on the increase in Europe, and that the study will look at the best possible way to improve market access of Namibian meat products.

He said Finland is hopeful that Namibia’s impasse with the European Union on the economic partnership agreement (EPA) will be ironed out, which he said would assist the meat producers.  If no agreement can be struck, it does not mean that Namibian products will be excluded from the EU market, but the goods will then be subject to tariffs.

CEO of the Meat Board, Paul Strydom, said the circumstances under which Namibian products can be exported to the EU then have to be worked out.  On average, Namibia exports 9 000 tonnes of meat to the EU annually.

Luukkainen said the main focus of the embassy’s engagement with Namibia is to strengthen economic ties.  Finland’s annual grant support to Namibia is about N$50 million. The embassy’s development cooperation is focusing on concessional credits, civil society support, and institutional cooperation.