New name, new mandate, extra levies

All funding to the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN) is in the form of levies generated through livestock and livestock product transactions in Namibia.

This according to the LLPBN, which added that globally, agricultural boards are largely private institutions funded by members of the board, whereas the board is constituted in terms of an Act, but does not receive any government funding.

“This unique set-up showcases the commitment of both the private sector and the government towards a healthy and prosperous livestock sector, and recognises the importance and need for collaboration between public and private sectors," it said.

It explained that the well-known Meat Board of Namibia’s mandate has been expanded since August last year with an amendment to the Meat Industry Act, and it is now known as the LLPBN. This expansion involves the new declaration of poultry as livestock, as well as including poultry meat, eggs, dairy, hides and skins as newly controlled livestock products to be regulated by the LLPBN.

It said this expansion has created an unique livestock board, not only in terms of the scope of livestock and livestock products to be regulated, but also in terms of the governance of the board.

Registration

In terms of practical implication, this amendment implies that producers of poultry, poultry meat, eggs, dairy, hides and skins would have to register with the board as a legal producer, LLPBN added. Such registration also applies to importers and exporters.

Further, poultry abattoir operators, egg-packing operators, dairy operators and tannery operators would also need to apply to register with the LLPBN and will have to comply with a set of conditions specific to the said operation, it noted.

“As explained before, a levy will be payable to the board when poultry, poultry meat, eggs, dairy, hides or skins are sold within Namibia, exported from Namibia or imported into Namibia, as is the case currently with cattle, sheep, goats and pigs and meat derived thereof.”

The LLPBN said the levies collected will be utilised to perform its regulatory functions.

These include border control, facility inspections, issuing of permits and export-quality control at export-approved facilities.

Mandate

In terms of the functions of the board, these will now be expanded to the additional industries, and will follow the mandate of the board, which is to promote the interests of the related industries within Namibia and elsewhere, the LLPBN said.

Such a mandate includes, but is not limited to, creating a conducive environment for production, identifying lucrative markets, aligning related industries to market trends and collecting data for strategic planning within the related industries.

The LLPBN said this could also include the development of farm assurance schemes, like the current Farm-Assured Namibian Meat Scheme (FAN Meat), which is administered by the board and successfully used as negotiation tools for entry to lucrative international markets. The full implementation of the new expanded mandate, and thus the requirement for registration with the board, will take place after a date which is specified by the agriculture minister through publication in the government gazette.