China imports first consignment of beef weighing 21 tonnes from Namibia

On Thursday, March 28, Namibia exported the first 21 tonnes of beef to China. The objective is set to diversify the southern African nation's destinations for export.

The meat processing and marketing entity, Meatco Board Chairperson, Martha Namundjebo-Tilahun said at a send-off event in Windhoek that the entity and nation at large are excited about entering into an alternative market. "Despite the challenging times producers are faced with, such as the economy and recurring drought, we would like to commend you the producers for providing us with quality produce," she added, as reported by Xinhua.

Charge d'Affaires of Chinese Embassy in Namibia Yang Jun said at the event that Namibia is the only African country to export beef to China. "This Namibian beef is of high quality," he said, adding that the export of beef to China is set to further open other potential avenues for business and trade.

On the other hand, Namibia's Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry, Alpheus Naruseb said the first consignment is irrefutable proof that the relationship between China and Namibia is one of give-and-take and is mutually beneficial. In 2016, Namibia and China signed a milestone agreement that would see A-grade beef enter the massive Asian market, making it the only country in Africa to export beef to that country, Xinhua reported.

Also Read: Namibia Statistics Agency reveals China as largest export destination followed by South Africa