January 25, 2021

Namibia's poultry producers encouraged to support self-sufficiency in light of import ban

Namibia Poultry Industries (NPI), the biggest national poultry producer in Namibia, has urged local poultry producers to tap into the opportunity brought about by the country's suspension of poultry imports to show that it can be self-sufficient and meet domestic demand.

Poultry imports were recently suspended by Albertina Shilongom, Namibia's Chief Veterinary Officer of the agriculture ministry. The suspension affects the in-transit movement of live poultry, birds, and poultry products following the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in some European countries.

According to international trade specialist Arwil Viviers, the local demand for poultry products may increase due to the number of European countries which was included in the poultry import ban. However, he noted that "Namibia has its own, functioning poultry industry and is not completely reliant on imports. Local production should see an increase, which is positive for the current economic situation."

He explained that Namibia is one of the most effective and efficient poultry producers in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, with excellent production statistics when compared to international poultry industries.

 "…the industry should know that it is an important cog in the Namibian economy in terms of both food security and financial contribution. So, local producers should keep the faith, continue to operate and provide the Namibian public with chicken products and create jobs by doing so," Viviers added. 

He said that the import ban along with COVID-19 has shown how important it is to have local industries to enable both food security and economic security. According to Vivers, the local poultry industry helps ensure that food remains affordable through creating jobs and stimulating economic activity.

"Seeing the avian influenza outbreak in Europe should make us think why we consume products from those countries in the first place when we have the same products being produced right at home by our own people. Supporting local has never been as important as it has been right now," Viviers said.

- New Era