Agoa.info - African Growth and Opportunity Act
TRALAC - Trade Law Centre
You are here: Home/News/Article/Namibia: Meatco hailed for beef export success … ‘nothing good comes easy’

Namibia: Meatco hailed for beef export success … ‘nothing good comes easy’

Namibia: Meatco hailed for beef export success … ‘nothing good comes easy’
Published date:
Friday, 21 February 2020

Minister of International Relations and Corporation Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah yesterday hailed the exportation of Namibian beef to the United States, describing it as a “great achievement” in the advancement of the country economic diplomacy. 

Nandi-Ndaitwah made the remarks during the sending off of the first container of 25 tons of Namibian beef to the US, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s largest city yesterday, making Namibia the first African country to export beef to the world’s largest consumer market.

By exporting beef to the US, Namibia will benefit economically from tapping into the world’s largest consumer market with a purchasing power of US$13 trillion while the US consumers will benefit from access to world’s high-quality, free-range, grass-fed, and hormone and antibiotic free beef.  

“I am proud of the entire agricultural industry/farming especially the livestock producers for their hard work thus making a meaningful contribution to the national developmental agenda,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.

“Namibian farmers are talented and creative people. They go through so much to produce one of the best beef in the world amidst harsh climatic conditions. I am truly so proud and respect every Namibian farmer.”

She said in 2002 and again in 2005, Namibia initiated negotiations on the export of meat (beef) products to the US, with the intention to export boneless (not ground) raw beef products such as primal cuts, chuck, blade, and beef trimming.

Today, she said, 18-years later, Namibia is able to finally export meat to the lucrative and big US market. “I think this may be one of the longest protocols ever that the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) of USA and the Namibian Directorate of Veterinary Service (DVS) had taken to ensure that all technical areas are cleared and are in accordance with various established protocols,” she said.

“It is said, “nothing good comes easy”, today Namibia is proud of this achievement,” she added. On her part, US Ambassador to Namibia Lisa Johnson said one of her top priorities is to increase trade and investment between the two countries in order to create prosperity for all citizens. “Since my arrival in Namibia two years ago, I have had the honor to work closely with Meatco and all relevant ministries to help make export of Namibian beef to the US a reality,” she said.

Johnson said Meatco has submitted itself to rigorous test of its beef products and processes in order to gain access to the US market and is regularly audited.

“As a testament to Meatco’s excellence as a quality beef producer, I am proud to reconfirm that Meatco continues to meet all standards set forth by the US Department of Agriculture and US Food Safety and Inspection Service for beef production and processing,” she said.
She said Meatco would benefit from duty-free export beef into the US through the African Growth and Opportunity Act, known as AGOA.

Since 2000, AGOA has served as the cornerstone of US economic agreement with Africa.

“I would like to see (as many) Namibian companies as possible take Meatco’s lead and benefit from AGOA,” she stresses.

 

Read related news articles

New opportunities to deepen US trade and investment in Namibia open up

New optimism about the future of Namibia’s economic engagement with the United States of America has begun to manifest. The American Ambassador to Namibia, Ambassador Randy Berry, recently said that the United States of America is committed to strengthening trade and investment ties with Namibia and other African countries. Ambassador Berry stressed the importance of these partnerships for mutual prosperity and the significance of...

23 November 2023

USAID and Namibian government showcase successes in Namibia

Today, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the United States to Namibia Jessica Long and representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), together with the Namibian Government, reflected on the past six years of the Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (USAID TradeHub).  The event in Windhoek brought together stakeholders from the Namibian market to share experiences, successes, and lessons...

03 August 2022

Namibia: Trade ministry and USAID TradeHub bring AGOA capacity building into focus

Last year, Namibia launched its AGOA Utilisation Strategy with the objective of diversifying and increasing its exports to the United States of America under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The strategy chiefly seeks to assist Namibia to develop its competitiveness in utilising the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) that provides eligible countries with duty free access to the lucrative USA market.  Now, Namibia...

06 June 2022

Namibia: Ambassador keen to expand country's Meatco market

Namibian ambassador to the USA Margaret Mensah-Williams recently conducted a familiarisation visit at Meatco, expressing her satisfaction at the manner the institution is operating and fulfilling its mandate.   Mensah-Williams, who was welcomed by Meatco CEO Mwilima Mushokabanji, was particularly impressed by the vast experience and knowledge Meatco has in producing high-quality beef products that are highly competitive in the advanced...

20 January 2022

'Safety issues and Nigeria’s agricultural export potential'

Sir: Growing Nigeria’s non-oil export is critical to the much-sought economic growth, employment and poverty reduction. Not least, in light of the reality of hydrocarbon resources losing its reliability and honoured position as a revenue source. Over the years, this realisation has spawned myriad of non-export campaigns, commentaries as well as other initiatives aimed at creating export opportunities for developing countries like...

06 October 2021

Namibia: American delegation looks for renewable energy opportunities

President Hage Geingob on Friday hosted a delegation from the United States of America at State House. A delegation of businesspeople, accompanied by lawmakers from several states, was in Namibia to look out for opportunities, particularly in the renewable energy industry. Before the closed-door meeting, Geingob said Namibia is a peaceful country that has gone through peaceful transitions of power. He informed the delegation that Namibia has...

24 August 2021

Namibia: Local exporters urged to take continental market route as companies shine at exporter awards

Minister of Industrialisation and Trade Lucia Iipumbu said a number of export markets have been secured for Namibian exporters, including in Africa, and encouraged all local producers to seize opportunities of continental access.  Iipumbu made these remarks when she officiated at the first Namibia Annual Exporter Awards last week. The awards were held in collaboration between the USAID Southern Africa Trade and Investment Hub (USAID...

09 August 2021

Namibia launches AGOA strategy to increase tariff-free exports to the United States

Today, U.S. Ambassador Lisa Johnson joined Minister of Industrialisation and Trade Lucia Iipumbu to officially launch Namibia’s African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Utilization Strategy. The strategy seeks to increase Namibia’s exports under the AGOA program, which allows Namibia to export over 6,400 products tariff-free to the United States. This joint effort to develop the AGOA strategy is part of the United States’ efforts to...

11 May 2021

USAID Southern Africa to support upcoming Swakopmund international trade expo

The USAID/Southern Africa will collaborate with the government and the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) for the upcoming 7th Swakopmund International Trade Expo (SWAITEX). Dr Takele Tassew, Agriculture and Trade Advisor for the USAID/Southern Africa Regional Economic Growth Office, confirmed in a statement that this partnership is possible because of a meeting they had with the Ministry of Industrialization, Trade and SME...

03 October 2019

US to deepen partnership with Namibia

The United States is working closely with Namibia to realise further growth in trade and investment between the two countries. United States (US) ambassador to Namibia, Lisa Johnson at a media briefing on Friday said her government is working closely to raise US companies' awareness about opportunities in Namibia which support development goals. Johnson made these remarks in line with the US's new trade and investment opportunity programme,...

15 July 2019

You are here: Home/News/Article/Namibia: Meatco hailed for beef export success … ‘nothing good comes easy’