A new N$80 million cattle feedlot at the Etunda Irrigation Scheme in the Omasuti Region near Ruacana that will hold up to 1 000 cattle is aimed at boosting livestock production in the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs).
The facility forms part of a wider N$400 million EU-Namibia Livestock Support Programme jointly funded by the EU and the Namibian government.
Inge Saamwani, Minister of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, said the feedlot is a major step toward Namibia’s national goals of food security, poverty eradication, and climate-resilient livestock management.
During the groundbreaking event on 31 July, Ian Duport, Chargé d’Affaires of the EU Delegation to Namibia, said the broader package includes upgrades to abattoirs in Opuwo, quarantine and veterinary facilities in Omusati, Kavango West and Zambezi, and the construction of an Artificial Insemination Centre in Oshikoto.
The EU also handed over the first five of nine 30-ton trucks to the Ministry of Agriculture.
“Together with Namibia’s agriculture ministry, we support these strategic infrastructures across the NCA in order to enhance livestock productivity, strengthen farmers’ adaptation to climate change, and improve access for farmers in the Northern Communal Areas to both local, regional and international markets through the Commodity-Based Trade (CBT),” he said.
Kaire Mbuende, director of the National Planning Commission (NPC), said by improving the value chain, the feedlot will improve food security, reduction of poverty and economic growth for communal farmers in the region.
The Etunda feedlot will link communal cattle farmers to commercial markets through the Commodity-Based Trade (CBT) system. It will also reduce transportation and service costs for marketing and abattoir access.
In addition, the broader initiative includes investments in fodder production, livestock traceability, and farmer training aimed at enabling communal farmers to comply with animal health regulations.
The focus will be particularly on diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and Lumpy Skin Disease, for which the veterinary cordon fence remains a key control measure.
The Etunda feedlot project will be implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform, with the National Planning Commission (NPC) serving as the contracting authority.
Source references
Communal farmers to benefit from N$80m Etunda feedlot (2025) The Brief
https://thebrief.com.na/2025/07/communal-farmers-to-benefit-from-n80m-etunda-feedlot/
Namibia and EU Launch N$78.9 Million Etunda Feedlot to Boost Livestock Sector (2025) Informanté
