Staff Reporter
THE newly appointed Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has signed an agreement with China on the inspection, quarantine, and hygiene requirements for mutton and chevon to be exported from Namibia to China.
The Chinese delegation was led by Wang Lingjun, Vice Minister of the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC).
Giving background on the agreement, the Namibian agriculture minister, Inge Zaamwani, explained that during the 9th FOCAC Beijing Summit held in September 2024 in China, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the opening ceremony that China would work with Africa to implement ten partnership initiatives to advance the modernization of Africa and China. These ten partnership initiatives cover areas of mutual learning among civilizations, trade deficit, industrial chain cooperation, connectivity, development cooperation, healthcare, agriculture and livelihood, people-to-people exchange, green development, and common security.
“Within the context of these ten partnership initiatives, the two countries have been hard at work negotiating relevant agreements that focus on the partnership initiatives under agriculture and livelihood. To this end, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform of the Republic of Namibia and the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China have been working on the protocol on inspection, quarantine, and hygiene requirements for mutton and chevon to be exported from Namibia to China,” Zaamwani said.
She added that the end result of this hard work has culminated in the above-mentioned protocol and agreement signed on 8 May 2025, marking a productive end to these negotiations.
“My wish is for the protocol on inspection, quarantine, and hygiene requirements for mutton and chevon and the agreement in the field of quarantine and plant protection to have positive economic multiplier effects for both nations, leading to, among other benefits, employment creation, positive economic development, and above all, a win-win situation for all,” Zaamwani said.
