Meatco bemoans closure of Katima Mulilo plant

The outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease in the Caprivi region in November last year which resulted in the unscheduled closure of the Katima Mulilo plant as well as the inability to market cattle in that region will continue well into the next financial year.
In its last financial year, Meatco was only able to slaughter 102,260 cattle through its facilities located south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence and 18 014 cattle at its facilities located in the Northern Communal Areas.
In a recent inteview with the economist, Obed Katura, Meatco’s Manager for the Katima Plant in the Northern Communal Area (NCA) confirmed that the Katima Abattoir closure has affected operations   as no cattle to slaughter means no products to market.
“The NCA is a strategically important market for Meatco and the company has invested nearly N$300 million in the development of the NCA since 1992. Unfortunately many factors hamper delivery to Meatco, including FMD outbreaks, difficult infrastructure and vast distances,” said Katura.