WEEKLY NEWS 28 August 2020

WEEKLY NEWS 21 August 2020

· Stage 1 measures implemented by the Meat Board of Namibia
· New fire management guidelines for charcoal industry
· FAs and other news

Stage 1 measures implemented by the Meat Board of Namibia
The Management of the Meat Board of Namibia (MBN) has sent out an urgent memorandum to inform all role players in the livestock industry that their head office in Windhoek will be closed from 10 to 26 August 2020. This action is taken as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The following arrangements have been put in place during this period
• The MBN Ear Tag, NamLITS helpdesk, producer registration and Stock Brands offices will be closed for the duration of the mentioned period;
• The MBN Classification services will be unaffected and continue as long as the export abattoirs are operating; • The MBN Border personnel will be unaffected and continue rendering border inspection services; • The MBN Finance Division will prepare and do payments only on Fridays;
• The MBN Trade Division will continue the issuing of MBN import and export permits (See website for detail – www.nammic.com.na). • The MBN IT Division will ensure 24-hour internet capability during the period.
Contact persons
All permit enquiries – Ms Beatrice Katjouanga (+264) 081 216 8823 / beatrice@nammic.com.na
All meat industry statistics enquiries – Mr Ace Mutelo (+264) 81 271 8192/ chiefims@nammic.com.na
All stock brand enquiries – Mr Johan Engelbrecht (+264) 081 122 4917/ chfanmeat@nammic.com.na
All ear tag enquiries – Mr Johan Engelbrecht- (+264) 081 122 4917/ chfanmeat@nammic.com.na
All border enquiries – Mr Wessels Horn- (+264) 081 128 8545 / wessels@nammic.com.na
All Transport or permit enquiries:
Transkalahari Border Post – Collin Kazongominja – (+264) 081 258 3183 / collin@nammic.com.na
Noordoewer & Ariamsvlei – Gerhard Jooste – (+264) 081 767 0555 / gerhard@nammic.com.na
All Finance enquiries – Ms Ursula Nguvauva – (+264) 081 279 1821 / ursula@nammic.com.na
All general enquiries – Mr Willem Schutz – (+264) 081 129 3070 / willie@nammic.com.na

The Meat Board will during this period do its utmost to maintain critical services and assist where necessary.

Producers are urged to make use of the following online services Click here to download the full document of available online services with step by step guidelines.

New fire management measures for the charcoal industry
New measures to reduce the risk of bush fires, caused by charcoal production, have been announced by the Directorate of Forestry. Effective immediately, these measures will annually be in place from the beginning of August until the end of December.

Charcoal production should be done under the following circumstances:
1. Cluster all kilns at a designated facility or central burning site per camp of charcoal production.
2. Charcoal producing farms should make 15m-wide firebreaks round the properties at the end of each rainy season.
3. An area of at least 5 meter radius must be cleared of grass around active clusters of kilns.

Forestry officials may inspect any charcoal production farm to verify whether above procedures are in place. The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism urges charcoal burners to fully comply with the above guidelines. Not implementing these guidelines will lead to an immediate withdrawal of harvesting and marketing permits. The abovementioned measures are aimed at preventing the occurrence of uncontrolled veld fires that annually destroy vast tracts of land in Namibia.

Click here to download the official letter from the Directorate of Forestry.

FA AND OTHER NEWS
(PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE MEETINGS MAY CHANGE DUE TO COVID-19 REGULATIONS. CONTACT THE ORGANISERS FOR NEW INFORMATION)
Windhoek Regional Agricultural Union (RAU)
They have a meeting on 17 August at 08:30 in the NAU Boardroom. For more information, contact Marianne Seifert, Tel 062 581 650, info@farm-heimat.com
Summerdown FA
Their meeting is scheduled for 19 August at 15:00 at the FA hall. The speakers are Kai-Dieter Rumpf (Bush fires) and Jürgen Matthaei (Reservists and crime forum). For more information contact Rienie du Plessis, Tel 062 561621, summerdownbv@gmail.com.
Leonardville FA
Their meeting is scheduled for 13 August at 15:00 at the FA hall. For more information contact Johannie Brenkmann, Tel 081 1224178, lvillebv@gmail.com.
Western Khomas FA
They have a meeting on 19 August at 15:00 at the Harmonie FA hall. For more information contact Amanda Greeff at 064 551 565 or luanda@iway.na
Otjiwarongo FA
Regenerative Livestock Production is the theme at their farmers’ day to be held on 8 September at Farm Buffelhoek. The programme begins at 09:00 and the presenter is Mr Colin Nott. At 11:00 a farm visit will be conducted, with the programme ending at 16:00. Please RSVP by 1 September to Rozane Briedenhann per WhatsApp (081 250 8986). For more information contact Johan Pieterse at 067 303 315 or pietrsejp@iway.na
Agra ProVision courses
DATE TOPIC CITY COST 18-19 August Cattle breeding for beginners Windhoek N$2 750 20-21 August Horticulture Windhoek N$2 750
24-25 August Free range poultry production Windhoek N$3 200

For more information contact Agra ProVision at 061 2909208 or apvtraining@agra.com.na Meatco
The Annual General Meeting will take place on 21 August at the NIPAM campus, Olympia, Windhoek. Registered members may attend the meeting and have voting rights. For more information contact the Meatco head office at 061 303 315.
NMC – AGM Namibia Medical Care’s Annual General Meeting will take place at 12:00 on 28 August 2020 at the NamPower Convention Centre, Windhoek. For more information contact NMC at Tel 061 233575.

Landbou Joernaal on Channel 7
Saturday morning at 06:00 on Landbou Joernaal:
• A wide range of subjects including chicken feeding, the road to recovery after the drought and which auctions are taking place and where. • we also page through the new Landbouweekblad
A re-broadcast of Saturday’s Landbou Joernaal takes place on Wednesday evenings from 20:00. Channel 7 can also be heard on their website at www.k7.com.na or on their cellphone app. Listeners who prefer to listen to Dstv can tune in on 825. Enquiries and requests can be sent via SMS to 1023 with the code landbou

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER
• New strategy for the Namibian Livestock Industry
• 2021 Census preparation
• FAs and other news

New strategy for the Namibian Livestock Industry
In 2019, livestock farmers and representatives from the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union
(NECFU), NAU and the Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU) together with the Ministry of
Agriculture, Water and Land Reform developed a National Regenerative Livestock Strategy to revive the
Namibian livestock industry.
The proposed approach could, over the medium term, make farmers more profitable, improve the resource
base and create more jobs.
Farmers’ groups have already been formed to start working on this new strategy. The NAU calls on
interested farmers’ associations to expose their members to these case studies and for those interested to
become a part of this movement by joining one of the groups. YouTube videos were developed to equip
farmers with new insight. Once farmers have watched the videos it is expected that they will get together to
decide on a regenerative grazing approach and how they can be supported.
Plans are also underway to establish an industry committee that will fund future activities bybringing
together key players in the livestock value chain to address the critical priorities identified.

2021 Census

Phase 1 of the preparations for the 2021 Census, which will take place in August 2021, will start soon.
The Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) requested the NAU members to assist them to ensure the success of
the 2021 Census.
During Phase 1 of the preparations for the 2021 Census, from July to December 2020, farms will be visited
for mapping. The NAU requests its FAs to please give their support to the NSA so that this phase may be
completed as successfully as possible.

Landbou Journal on Channel 7
Saturday morning at 06:00 on Landbou Journal:
• Crop results on maize plots: this time we compare different cultivars under irrigation with Francois Wahl;
• this time of year there is a lot of action on the auction front;
• lastly, Chris Burgess, editor of Landbou Weekblad, will tell us about some of the informative articles in
this week’s magazine.
A re-broadcast of Saturday’s Landbou Joernaal takes place on Wednesday evenings from 20:00. Channel 7
can also be heard on their website at www.k7.com.na or their cellphone app. Listeners who prefer to listen
on Dstv can tune in on 825. Enquiries and requests can be sent via SMS to 1023 with the code landbou.

FA and other news
Western Khomas FA
They have a meeting on 19 August at 15:00 at the Harmonie FA hall. For more information contact Amanda
Greeff at 064 551 565 or luanda@iway.na
Otjiwarongo FA
They are hosting a meeting with the theme regenerative livestock production on 8 September at Farm
Buffelhoek. The programme begins at 09:00 and the presenter is Mr Colin Nott. At 11:00 a farm visit will be
conducted and the programme ends at 16:00. Please RSVP by 1 September to Rozane Briedenhann per
Whatsapp (081 250 8986).
For more information contact Johan Pieterse at 067 303 315 or pietrsejp@iway.na

IN TODAY’S NEWSLETTER

 Carrying capacity is vital in determining land tax
 Further regulations to Phase 4 of the State of Emergency: COVID-19
 FAs and other news

Carrying capacity is vital in determining land tax
This week the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform gave feedback on a consultation project aimed at creating updated maps that indicate the carrying capacity and Agro Ecological Zones (AEZ) of Namibia.
These maps will also be used for future valuation of the taxable unimproved site values of land. The Minister of Agriculture, Calle Schlettwein, said in his opening speech at the workshop that land tax must not be a ‘tax to kill’.
It is a known fact that the NAU members are willing to pay land tax, provided it is just and affordable. The carrying capacity of land reflects the inherent potential of the land and is a critical factor in equitably determining the unimproved site value. The NAU supports the consultation process and will communicate to its members as the process unfolds.