Original Story Published by: Maria Shaanika for The Namibian
Photo Source: ©Maria Shaanika/The Namibian
(Above) BEEF EXPORT… Namibia and China launched of the first consignment of Beef export to the People's republic of China yesterday for 2019 in Windhoek. From left: Meatco acting chief executive Jan Breytenbach, industrialisation minister Tjekero Tweya, Agriculture minister Alpheus !Naruseb, Meatco board chairperson Martha Namundjembo-Tilahun, ambassador People's Republic of China Zhang Yiming and Beijing central key trading Di Guangtao.
THE Meat Corporation of Namibia yesterday launched its first beef exports to China under an agreement signed by the two countries nine years ago.
Trade and industrialisation minister Tjekero Tweya said at the launch in Windhoek that Namibia will focus on value addition to the beef before it is exported.
He said value addition will help the beef sector generate more income and create employment.
“We will not continue to send unprocessed meat, but we will have value addition,” he said, reiterating that producers should take value addition seriously before exporting unprocessed products.
Tweya said a bigger market, being the African continental free trade area, will be opened soon for trade between African countries which have a combined population of about 1.3 billion.
He, therefore, encouraged farmers to increase production, to be responsive to the market, and to create more jobs.
“This is a resource we must utilize for the benefit for all,” he added. The minister said Meatco should treat farmers from the south and those from the north of the Red Line equally in the beef market, as the two sets of farmers have not benefited equally from the corporation.
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