Meatco has settled N$31 million owed to cattle producers in the past two weeks despite foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) restrictions disrupting livestock marketing and putting pressure on the corporation’s operations and finances.
The payments cover cattle delivered to Meatco’s Windhoek Abattoir between 29 August and 11 September 2026 and were paid in full as the corporation moves to contain expenditure and preserve cash.
The FMD outbreak has temporarily disrupted the movement and marketing of livestock to the Windhoek facility, creating uncertainty over market access and the return to normal operations.
Meatco Interim Chief Executive Officer Albertus Aochamub said the corporation was reviewing operating costs, expenditure and other financial commitments while seeking to continue paying producers and other creditors.
“While the operating environment remains uncertain, our focus is clear: protect cash, manage expenditure responsibly and continue meeting our obligations as far as possible,” Aochamub said.
“This requires disciplined decisions across the business while we await greater certainty on market access and the resumption of normal operations.”
The N$31 million payment comes as cattle producers face disruptions to normal marketing channels following movement controls introduced to contain the FMD outbreak.
Aochamub said Meatco would continue prioritising its relationship with producers as it navigates the disruption.
“Producers are at the centre of Meatco’s business, and we deeply appreciate the confidence and partnership they continue to place in us,” he said.
“During difficult times such as these, our responsibility is not only to protect the business but also to do everything reasonably possible to carry our producers with us.”
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform confirmed the FMD outbreak in the //Kharas Region on 23 September.
By 6 October, 129 animal samples had tested positive, with infections confirmed across 17 farms.
The ministry said veterinary teams had conducted surveillance at 72 of 81 farms targeted within a 50-kilometre radius of the index farm, representing 88.9% coverage.
Twenty veterinary teams have been deployed to conduct inspections and trace livestock movements, while 16 checkpoints have been operating since 25 September to restrict unauthorised movement of susceptible animals and animal products.
At seven checkpoints, officials had searched 2,292 vehicles and confiscated and destroyed meat and meat products transported in contravention of the restrictions.
The government said the controls are aimed at containing the outbreak and preventing further spread, while Meatco awaits greater certainty on livestock movement and market access.
