“You could already be eating beef from north of red line without knowing it,” says Zaamwani

By: Hertha Ekandjo

Agriculture minister, Inge Zaamwani, says meat from the Northern Communal Areas (NCA) is increasingly reaching markets south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence through commodity-based trading protocols.

“You may be eating a steak in whatever restaurant, the chances are high that that meat is coming from the NCA,” she said.

The minister said this during a presentation on the status of the gradual removal of the Veterinary Cordon Fence to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Urban and Rural Development and Land Reform on Wednesday in Windhoek.

Zaamwani also announced that the government will operationalise the cattle equalisation fund this year to ensure NCA farmers receive the same prices for their cattle as farmers in other parts of the country when selling to Meatco.

The fund was introduced last year but was delayed due to institutional challenges.

According to a 2025 report issued by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Economics and Public Administration, because of strict international biosecurity laws, live cattle from the north cannot be exported south or across borders.

Instead, local farmers must rely on state-approved quarantine camps, such as Thomas Shiyave, where herds undergo a mandatory 21-to-28-day pre-slaughter isolation.

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