SA feedlot ban shuts another door on farmers

Namibian cattle farmers have been dealt another blow after South Africa’s feedlot industry rejected imports of live cattle and beef from Namibia and Botswana, as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) restrictions continue to cripple the local meat industry.The South African Feedlot Association (Safa) announced last Tuesday that it had unanimously decided not to support the imports under current FMD conditions.“We believe that the long-term interests and sustainability of the South African red meat value chain must take priority over the short-term relief that additional imports may offer,” the association said in its statement.Safa said its decision was precautionary and not intended as criticism of Namibia or Botswana.The decision comes as Namibian producers struggle to sell their cattle following the FMD outbreak confirmed in the country’s previously disease-free zone in the ||Kharas Region on 23 September.The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) estimates that FMD could cost Namibia's livestock industry N$2.397 billion over six months, equivalent to approximately N$13 million a day.Otjiwarongo-based farmer Harry Schneider-Waterberg told Namibian Sun last week that the impact of the SA ban would be particularly severe for producers who depend on selling weaner calves to South African feedlots.“I’m not quite sure when things are going to change for the farmers. When can they start selling? When can they do something to have an income?” he said.Schneider-Waterberg, who produces slaughter oxen and supplies export markets, said he does not personally depend on the weaner market but understood the consequences for farmers whose livelihoods rely on it.He said Namibia’s domestic market could absorb only a fraction of the meat produced locally, with the remainder dependent on export markets.“Maybe it alleviates some pressure, but it’s by far not something that solves the problem for most farmers,” he said of arrangements allowing eligible cattle from inspected holding facilities to be sent to accredited abattoirs.Ripple effectsSchneider-Waterberg also warned that the crisis was affecting businesses beyond the farms.He estimated that Otjiwarongo’s weekly cattle auctions previously facilitated transactions worth N$8 million to N$10 million, money that supported spending on animal feed, agricultural supplies and other goods in the town.“The better it goes with the farming community, the better it goes with places like Otjiwarongo,” he said.Otjiwarongo businessman and farmer Mark Mücke said the loss of the South African weaner market could push cattle prices down, leaving producers with few alternatives.“At the moment we are in a lose-lose situation,” he said, adding that farmers who kept their cattle to grow them into slaughter oxen would still struggle because export markets remained restricted.Mücke called on government to consider subsidies to help farmers survive the coming months, particularly with drought conditions potentially adding to their difficulties.Job lossesMeatco interim chief executive officer Albertus Aochamub said the disruption extended across the entire meat industry, rather than affecting only one company.“All of us, all the abattoirs in the country have sent our workers home on leave because we are all closed,” he said.Aochamub said farmers unable to sell their livestock, transport companies losing business and suppliers serving abattoirs were all feeling the effects. He warned that businesses would have to consider whether they could retain their employees while operations remained disrupted.BIG LOSS: SA feedlot ban shuts another door on Namibian farmers. Photo Contributed

SA feedlot ban shuts another door on farmers

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-27

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SA feedlot ban shuts another door on farmers

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-27

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