Livestock sector under supply pressure

The Namibian livestock sector continued to experience tight supply conditions in October, with most subsectors reporting lower marketing volumes compared to October last year.According to the Livestock and Livestock Products Board (LLPB), cattle marketing remained subdued, with total cattle marketed falling 21% year-on-year from 21 712 head in October 2024 to 17 146 head this October.Month-on-month, volumes dropped 7.2% from September.It said that year-to-date (January to October), total cattle marketed fell sharply by 48.1% to 174 397 head compared to 336 178 head in 2024, reflecting the tight supply of market-ready animals.Cattle slaughter declined 7.8% year-on-year to 12 823 head but saw a 19.1% month-on-month increase, indicating some recovery in abattoir activity. Year-to-date slaughter totalled 122 480 head, 28.6% below last year.Live exports declineThe LLPB said live cattle exports dropped dramatically by 68.5% year-to-date, from 164 747 head in 2024 to 51 917 head in 2025, with South Africa accounting for 96% of October exports.Beef exports declined by 2.4% year-on-year to 1.39 million kg in October but increased 26.3% month-on-month, primarily to Europe. Year-to-date beef exports plunged 47.5%, largely due to reduced slaughter supply rather than demand.Hide and skin exports rebounded to 95 483 kg in October, up from 49 051 kg in September, with South Africa, Vietnam and Zimbabwe as key destinations.Meanwhile, sheep marketing decreased 26.5% year-on-year in October to 31 076 head and 2.8% month-on-month.The LLPB said slaughter fell 36.4% year-on-year to 9 419 head, while live exports dropped 21.2% to 21 657 head, mainly to South Africa.Year-to-date marketing is down 37.3%, showing ongoing tight supply and stock rebuilding. Sheep-meat exports surged 72.7% year-on-year to 58 914 kg, but year-to-date exports remain 48.7% below 2024 levels.Goats, pigs stableGoat marketing showed a modest 5.4% year-on-year increase to 12 056 head but fell 11.4% month-on-month.Live exports rose slightly by 2.7% year-on-year, mostly to South Africa. Year-to-date marketing is down 13.1% to 103 165 head.According to the LLPB, pig marketing remained stable, with 4 655 head marketed in October, up 6.1% year-on-year.It said that no live exports were recorded.Pork imports increased 58.6% year-on-year to 566 798 kg, while year-to-date imports rose by 2.7% to 5.7 million kg, with Spain, South Africa, and Denmark as main suppliers.

Livestock sector under supply pressure

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-02

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Livestock sector under supply pressure

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Namibian Sun 2025-12-02

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