Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 CONTENTS Message from the Executive Officer 01 Message from the Executive Officer 07 Meatco Foundation Operational Team Welcome to the Meatco Foundation’s 2015 Annual Report. 21 Case study Erosion Control Since the establishment of the Meatco Foundation 02 Introduction to Meatco Foundation in 2011, Meatco has been committed to fulfil its role as a responsible corporate citizen that contributes to the development and growth of 06 Meatco Foundation Board of Trustees Namibia. We are proud of our long term partnerships, some 08 Farmers’ Support Programme through the of which stretch over 6 years. The Foundation is equally enthusiastic to welcome new partners Sustainable Cattle Production Project on board and is therefore proud to report on our projects and initiatives in 2015. 15 Case Study: Animal-treated crop fields During the year under review, Meatco Foundation invested N$11,567,254 in the Namibian rural 16 Rangeland and Marketing Development communities that depend on livestock farming for their livelihood, especially those living north of the Support Project Veterinary Cordon Fence. The Foundation focuses its attention on the Communal Areas, with the 18 Two Project’s Outcomes Achieved intention of enhancing the capacity of farmers in the communal areas to be able to compete in the commercial farming environment. 22 Meatco Occupational Health Project The aims of our projects are also informed by governmental agenda on socioeconomic issues, such as the current National Development Plan 24 Employee Volunteerism Programme (NDP4) and Vision 2030. This report sets out the main projects undertaken 26 Annual Financial Statements during 2015. Mr Kingsley Kwenani Executive Officer: Meatco Foundation Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 01 Introduction to the Meatco Foundation so that they The Foundation has focused its attention on the northern communal areas, with the intention of creating capacity in these farming communities, so they can become more commercially competitive. kingsley kwenani: executive officer: meatco foundation 02 Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 03 upgrade In partnership with Meatco, the Ministry of Agriculture The holding pens for the Otjiwarongo Show Society’s MEATCO FOUNDATION What is the Meatco Foundation? Water and Forestry (MAWF), the Ministry of Lands and livestock section were improved upon and the Resettlement (MLR), Agricultural Unions, Conservation infrastructure in the exhibition area was upgraded. The Meatco Foundation is Meatco’s corporate social Since 2011, the Foundation has invested N$25 million Agriculture Namibia (CAN) and other partners, the investment initiative, established in April 2011 with in projects throughout the country and worked with Meatco Foundation was able to ensure that beneficiaries The show societies of Grootfontein, Gobabis and established and generous national and international the aim of improving and supporting the socioeconomic received practical assistance (such as drilling boreholes Rehoboth also received sponsorship to similarly partners to make a difference. on resettlement farms), as well as training on issues renovate their infrastructure. development of the Namibian rural communities that such as sustainable rangeland management. depend on livestock farming for their livelihood. These partners and donors include the European Union, Other projects targeted primary healthcare in the supply Solidaridad Network Trust, Deutsche Gesellschaft für During 2015, the Meatco Foundation was the chain and the occupational health of staff members. Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Global Protein implementing partner of two comprehensive Solutions (GPS), and Danish Coop. programmes, namely the Farmer Support Programme This report summarises the outcomes of these projects, through the Sustainable Cattle Production project, and as well as provides details on Meatco’s Employee The Foundation is a separate legal entity with a seven- the Rangeland and Marketing Development Support Volunteerism programme, which also forms part of the member Board of Trustees. Project (RMDSP-NCA). Meatco Foundation’s activities. Meatco is responsible for funding its administrative In addition, the Foundation focused on up-scaling functions and co-funding its various outreach projects established initiatives for marketing aspects on within the livestock sector. All of Meatco’s corporate livestock in the NCA. social responsibilities fall under the ambit of the Foundation. 04 Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 05 Meatco Foundation Board of Trustees Meatco Foundation Operational Team MS CLARA BOHITILE MS PATRICIA SKYER AMBASSADOR MS TONATA MR SCHALK WALTERS MR KINGSLEY KWENANI MS NADIA VAN WYK Chairperson Chairperson of the ITENGE-EMVULA Trustee Executive Officer: Meatco Foundation Administrator: Meatco Foundation Management Committee Trustee and Trustee MS PATRICIA KEEJA ADV. VEKUII RUKORO MR VEHAKA TJIMUNE MR KINGSLEY KWENANI Trustee Chief Executive Officer: Trustee Executive Officer: Meatco Meatco Foundation and Trustee 06 Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 Meatco Foundation Annual Report 2015/16 07 Farmers’ Support Programme through the Sustainable Cattle Production Project HISTORY AND BACKGROUND PROJECT COMPONENTS The stakeholders were all consulted in the process PROJECT COMPONENT: LIVESTOCK COMMERCIALISED In 2013, the Foundation joined forces with Conservation In the year under review, implementation of the existing of implementation and execution of the project TRAINING IN THE NCA Agriculture Namibia (CAN), as well as with the project components under the Sustainable Cattle and the strong working relationship between the Commercialisation training by Meatco is the process organisation Solidaridad Network Trust, Meatco, Production project continued, namely: Meatco Foundation, Meatco and the stakeholders was of encouraging farmers to sell animals for slaughter at Global Protein Solution and Danish Coop as donors, strengthened with constant exchange of services and peak condition and not when too old or during times of to implement and manage the Sustainable Cattle • Sustainable Rangeland and Livestock Management advice. drought. Production in Namibia Project for a three-year period, Training which ended in November 2015. • Livestock Commercialised Training in the NCA The FMD outbreak was certainly a period where all Treating part of the herd as working stock and helping • The Meatco-owned Cattle Scheme (MoC); and organisations in the agricultural fields joined forces to farmers to realise guaranteed returns helped to The project specifically aimed at farmers in Namibia’s • Improved Genetics and Access to Bulls. successfully contain the disease. introduce a commercial approach into traditional communal areas, where poverty is prevalent. Most pastoral livestock keeping. people there are dependent on subsistence farming SETBACKS EXPERIENCED PROJECT COMPONENT: SUSTAINABLE RANGELAND practices for their livelihoods. Unfortunately the cattle The Sustainable Cattle Production project experienced AND LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT TRAINING A notable shift in the farmer’s mind-set from ‘traditional’ population per square kilometre and the cattle/human two major setbacks caused by external influencing During the course of the project, a total of 2,430 to commercialisation practices became evident during ratio is indicative of overstocking and overpopulation factors beyond its direct control, namely: communal farmers were trained in rangeland and the numerous scoping visits and discussions with the with regard to the communal areas’ herds. livestock management in a direct attempt to mitigate farmers. • The extended drought, which prevailed throughout the adverse impact of climate change on the livelihoods As the project came to a close in November 2015, the project duration from 2013-2015, resulted in of the small-scale livestock farmers in the NCAs. The persistent awareness-raising by the project staff activities will however continue as part of the Rangeland livestock production over the past three years being and Meatco procurement team about ‘selling at the and Marketing Development Support Project (RMDSP- confronted with a severe fodder shortage and the The training provided a foundation of knowledge on right time for the right reasons’ seems to be bearing NCA), providing an ideal exit strategy, as it ensures need to destock early to ensure good prices, good which to fall back on and serves as a guideline for fruit as this approach is now more frequently echoed by continuity of successes achieved to date as part of this production and to keep the resource base intact; sustainable farming practices. the farmers during interactions with the project staff. project. and An estimated total of 1,048 farmers in the project areas • A major outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease are practicing sustainable rangeland management as a A proportion of this achievement can be attributed INTERVENTIONS INITIATED (FMD) which occurred in May 2015 and impacted result of the training, indicating that the activities have to the Solidaridad FSP interventions; the livestock Key interventions at project start were initiated to on the target groups as well as on the wider triggered expected outcomes and positive uptake by the commercialisation training and the MoC scheme have stimulate better practices. These included: rural communities. The outbreak of FMD and its target group. also been eye-openers