A delegation of beef industry officials from Namibia are visiting the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources the week of June 16 to learn more about collective entrepreneurship among beef producers in the U.S.

The information may help the African nation improve its local economy.

The delegation is being hosted by the MU Graduate Institute of Cooperative Leadership (GICL) and MU’s International Agriculture Programs (IAP).

While at MU the group will look at producer-owned business models, marketing and supply chain management.

The group consists of ranchers, educators, regulatory officials, agri-businesses leaders and Traditional Authority representatives in the country.

Each delegate was selected by Millennium Challenge Account Namibia on the request of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) for their exemplary leadership and ability to act as a catalyst for change as Namibia expands their presence in global markets. You can learn more about MCC at www.mcc.gov.

“We annually welcome executives from leading cooperatives to our institute,” said Molly Burress, of GICL. “The focus of our training will be the discussion of common dilemmas that threaten producer alliances and alternative business models as strategies for linking individual producers to global markets.”

Improving the country’s agriculture infrastructure is critical as about half of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood. Most of Namibia’s people live in rural areas and exist on a subsistence way of life.

The delegation will also gather information from the Beef Industry Council, FCS Financial and Missouri Premier Beef Marketing Groups. They will meet with beef marketers on grading, packaging, market feasibility and abattoir design.

They will also tour producer-owned processing facilities that specialize in value-added and branded products, as well as specialty retail outlets.

“The participants will also have the opportunity to concentrate on marketing and supply chain management in the livestock sector,” Burress said. “We plan to give a broad overview covering financing, production, producer associations, processing, marketing and promotion, branding, retail and entry into high-end or niche markets.”