Free range market for northern communal area beef

Meatco’s Oshakati abattoir has been approved to deliver free range certified beef to premium retailer, Woolworths South Africa. This follows a successful audit which was completed last week at Meatco’s Oshakati operations as well as on qualifying producers’ farms. Previously, the Oshakati abattoir was only approved for commercial beef delivery to Woolworths SA. Now, for the first time, Meatco can deliver free range certified product from the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) to Woolworths SA. “This is a milestone for Meatco and the Namibian beef industry. It has proven that not only can we sell meat from the NCA to a high-end retailer such as Woolworths SA, but we have earned the privilege to be able to differentiate and sell our product in the premium space in these stores as well,” said Cyprianus Khaiseb, Meatco’s manager for the NCA. Free range beef fetches a higher price than commercial beef. Discerning consumers are willing to pay a premium for free range certified beef because it guarantees that the animal was raised naturally (Picture) Farmers in the NCA can now sell their beef to Woolworths SA. (Photograph contributed)