Maria David
THE existing Opuwo slaughterhouse is expected to be upgraded into an abattoir to enable farmers in the Kunene region to slaughter cattle and small stock locally.
This was revealed by the Ministry’s Executive Director, Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata, during her recent visit to the Oshaambelo Livestock Development Centre and water reticulation upgrade project.
Nghituwamata indicated that the upgraded abattoir will include a slaughter line for cattle and small stock, which will improve the operational efficiency of the facility and provide a market for small stock in the region.
“The abattoir will offer market opportunities for cattle and small stock owners with abundant livestock while supplying livestock products to retailers and Government institutions,” she said.
She added that currently, only two of the 22 grazing camps at Oshaambelo have water points, necessitating the manual transportation of water by tractor—a burdensome and inefficient process.
Nghituwamata said that the Livestock Support Programme (LSP) is addressing this challenge by upgrading the water reticulation system to ensure all grazing camps have access to water.
She further explained that materials procured for the project include pipes, water tanks, feeding troughs, water troughs, and construction materials for water tank stands. These upgrades aim to improve water distribution and reduce strain on resources.