NAMIBIA: USG AG COOPERATION - A GOOD NEWS STORY

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 WINDHOEK 000071

DEPT PLS PASS TO DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHDC

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2019
TAGS: PGOV ECON EAGR WA
SUBJECT: NAMIBIA: USG AG COOPERATION - A GOOD NEWS STORY

REF: WINDHOEK 69

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Classified By: AMBASSADOR DENNISE MATHIEU for 1.4 (b) and (d).

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Summary
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1. (C) The USG has for many years collaborated with the
government of Namibia (GRN) in the latter's attempt to boost
its agricultural productivity, improve its plant and animal
health systems, and gain access to U.S. markets. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) has conducted most U.S.
agricultural assistance, although the Millennium Challenge
Corporation (MCC) will soon invest in livestock and rangeland
management projects in Namibia's northern communal areas.
USDA is currently engaged with Namibia on several technical
issues, principally its request for meat equivalence with the
United States and collaboration on phytosanitary concerns,
including the threat posed by the fruit fly Bactrocera
invadens. In addition, Namibia participates in USDA/Foreign
Agricultural Service (FAS) capacity-building programs, such
as the Cochran Fellowship program. GRN officials have
expressed interest in additional collaboration with USDA.
However, bureaucratic problems in the Ministry of Agriculture
- which FAS/Pretoria and Embassy Windhoek will continue to
monitor - could slow down our cooperation. End Summary.

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Consultations with Stakeholders
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2. (U) From January 26-29, FAS/Pretoria Agricultural
Minister-Counselor (AgMin) and Embassy Windhoek economic
officer (econoff) met with GRN officials, agriculture union
representatives, members of industry, and other agriculture
stakeholders. This visit sought to assess the status of
USDA's activities in Namibia and to update our understanding
of the agricultural situation in the country.

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Meat Equivalence - USDA Still Shepherding the Process
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3. (SBU) For the past several years, USDA and Namibia's
Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry (MAWF) have been
actively engaged in a process to facilitate Namibia's meat
equivalence application to USDA's Food Safety and Inspection
Service (FSIS). With equivalence status, Namibia will be
able to export meat to the United States. During this recent
visit, AgMin discussed the status and next steps in the
equivalency process with the Permanent Secretary of
Agriculture, Water and Forestry; the Deputy Chief Veterinary
Officer and staff; the General Manager of the Meat Board of
Namibia; and the Director and Trade Advisor of the Namibian
Agricultural Trade Forum. The benefits that access to the
U.S. market could likely bring to Namibian livestock
producers were also discussed in meetings with the two main
farmer associations.


4. (C) Based on the discussions, Namibia clearly remains
committed to addressing the single remaining outstanding
issue noted by FSIS in its recent communications with
Namibia: the laboratory used for the required residue tests.
It is Namibia's intention to establish a separate facility
within its Central Veterinary Laboratory to manage the
residue tests. The tests are currently conducted in a South
African laboratory. However, there has been little progress
toward the construction of the Namibian facility due to
delays in the awarding of contracts for its construction and
for provision of the laboratory equipment.


5. (SBU) AgMin conveyed the FSIS' message that Namibia can
request a meat equivalence audit at any time, even though the
issue of the residue testing laboratory remains unresolved.
Meat equivalence requires the evaluation of a country's
inspection system which involves two steps: a document review
and an on-site review. Namibia has largely passed the
document review process. Now a FSIS technical team must
visit the country for an on-site review to evaluate five risk
areas (contamination, disease, processing, residues, and
compliance and economic fraud) as well as other aspects of
the inspection system including plant facilities and
equipment, laboratories, training programs, and in-plant
inspection operations. Should an on-site audit yield a
favorable result, the rule-making process in the United
States could move forward while USDA and Namibia worked
together to resolve the laboratory issue. The final step of
the rule making process would, however, have to await the
satisfactory resolution of the residue testing laboratory.

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(Note: One possible temporary solution is for Namibia to use
one of the European laboratories already recognized by the
United States.) While the Permanent Secretary seemed in
favor of requesting the audit as soon as possible, other
participants in the process, including the Ministry's
veterinary officials and the Meat Board, appeared to take a
more cautious approach. AgMin also reiterated that FSIS
stands ready to answer questions and provide guidance ahead
of the audit, including sending a technical consultant who
previously traveled to Namibia.

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Plant Health - Still a Few Bugs
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6. (SBU) Renier Burger, the Chief Plant Protection officer
at MAWF, provided an update on Namibia's latest efforts to
combat the threat posed by Bactrocera invadens, the fruit fly
that is devastating horticultural production and commerce in
many parts of Africa. Burger expressed gratitude for
USDA/APHIS' ongoing support to his team's surveillance and
mitigation efforts to slow the spread of the pest. Although
they face capacity and technical constraints, Burger and his
staff are diligently trying to adhere to recognized
international practices to manage the domestic quarantine and
cross-border trade issues. While South Africa temporarily
prohibited fruit imports from Namibia in October 2008,
without the work of Burger's team, the prohibition might
still be in place. The Plant Protection unit eventually
convinced South African authorities to allow fruit exports
from southern Namibia into South Africa after demonstrating
that the fly had not migrated to the southern parts of the
country.


7. (C) Burger and his team are apparently under much
internal pressure to cut corners in an effort to maintain
Namibia's commercial trade, especially its fruit exports to
South Africa. For example, the Permanent Secretary has yet
to give Berger official permission to report the detection of
Bactrocera invadens within Namibia to the International Plant
Protection Convention, a step that should have been automatic
months ago. The Permanent Secretary's reticence to go public
has left Burger the target of criticism. For example, one
private sector interlocutor told AgMin that the Plant
Protection unit had failed to notify farmers in time to
mitigate the impact of the fruit flies on Namibian fruit
exports. Nonetheless, Mr. Burger reports that he is
receiving good cooperation from Namibian fruit producers and
from South Africa with regard to measures that will serve to
maintain biosecurity and plant health within Namibia and
facilitate trade to South Africa.


8. (SBU) Namibia was able to respond quickly and effectively
to this new fruit fly pest due in part to the earlier
collaborative work with APHIS on surveillance and monitoring
of false codling moth. Namibia is now well into the second
year of data collection and the results could lead to the
relaxation of mitigation measures that currently restrict the
commercial viability of Namibia's table grape exports to the
United States.

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Namibian Government to USDA - Help Wanted . . .
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9. (SBU) GRN officials expressed considerable interest in
additional USDA technical assistance and capacity building
programs, especially Food for Progress and the Cochran
Fellowship. Although identified as a 2009 Food for Progress
priority country, funding constraints prevented USDA from
awarding Namibia a program. AgMin clarified to our
interlocutors that Namibia remains eligible and that,
depending on funding, one of the 2009 proposals might still
be approved. Funding cutbacks in the Cochran program will
prevent USDA from seeking new Fellows from Namibia in 2009.
FAS/Pretoria, however, intends to support a training program
for one of the 2008 Namibian Fellows who could not travel
last year. The Permanent Secretary of Agriculture also asked
for assistance helping develop a better agricultural
statistics system. AgMin noted that USDA's National
Agricultural Statistical Service does provide some assistance
in the region, but at the moment funding constraints would
likely prevent any near term projects.

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. . . Farmer-Based Organizations Want Help Too!
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10. (SBU) AgMin and econoff met with the two principal
farmer-based organizations in Namibia: the Namibia

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Agricultural Union (NAU) which primarily represents
commercial farmers, and the Namibia National Farmers Union
(NNFU) which represents communal (subsistence) farmers.
(Note: For more information on the differences between
commercial and communal farmers see reftel. End Note). Poor
rangeland management, by both communal and commercial
farmers, has significantly reduced the number of livestock
Namibian soil can sustain. NAU's president, Ryno Van Der
Merwe, noted that, in the 1970's, commercial farmers
maintained approximately 2.2 million head of cattle. Today
commercial cattle number only 800,000. He acknowledged that
overgrazing has contributed to today's relatively poor
livestock yields as some rangeland areas can no longer
sustain grasses for animals to feed on. The Millennium
Challenge Account compact targets improved rangeland
management to improve the productivity of grazing resources
in the communal areas of Namibia as a major component of its
agricultural project. The NAU and its constituent commercial
farmers have put forward a plan (seeking GRN assistance) to
include them in national rangeland management projects.

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Comment
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11. (C) Communication and coordination between the USG and
GRN technical and regulatory agencies on both the meat
equivalence and phytosanitary issues is functioning well.
Progress on meat equivalence is perhaps slower than expected,
but the delays are apparently bureaucratic in nature and not
due to lack of GRN will. Within the Ministry of Agriculture,
Water and Forestry, there appear to be structural and
leadership issues that may be affecting Namibia's response to
the threat posed by the fruit fly and its prompt action on
issues like meat equivalence. FAS/Pretoria and Embassy
Windhoek will continue to monitor this issue in order to
assess the impact, if any, on USDA programs or Namibia's
adherence to international standards and protocols. As
needed, USDA will continue to support the collaborative
effort between APHIS and Namibia's quarantine service on both
the fruit fly and codling moth issues. As appropriate, USDA
will attempt to include Namibia in activities managed by
USDA's SPS Regional Coordinators.


12. (SBU) The agriculture industry groups and associations
appear to be relatively strong and active in supporting their
constituents. These groups provide valuable insights into
the agricultural situation in Namibia. FAS/Pretoria and
Embassy Windhoek will attempt to strengthen our relationships
with these groups, as they could be useful collaborators for
future USDA programs as well as sources for future Cochran
Fellows. End Comment.
MATHIEU