Significant improvement in Namibia’s beef exports

As new markets are opening up, Namibia recorded a significant improvement in beef exports between January 2022 to July 2022, compared to the corresponding period of 2021.According to statistics released by the Agricultural Bank of Namibia (Agribank), over the review period, Namibia exported beef to three new markets, namely Angola, Tanzania and Ghana.For the existing markets, the data also indicated that beef exports have also increased in terms of volumes.Total beef exports between January to July 2022 stood at 6 623 651 kilograms (kg), compared to 3 432 075 kg recorded between January 2021 to July 2021.During the review period of 2021, the biggest export market was South Africa (1 165 617 kg), while the least exported market was Angola (304 kg).Between January 2022 to July 2022, the European Union (EU) was the biggest beef export market (2 315 465 kg) and only 5 702 kg was exported to Tanzania, which is a new market.Agribank pointed out at least 22 967 cattle were marketed in July 2022, which translates into an 8% decrease from 25 090 marketed in the prior year. The number of cattle marketed for slaughtering purposes, declined by 33% to 7 374 in July 2022 compared to 11 072 in the prior year.Weaner exports continue to dominate, increasing by 14% to 15 272 from 13 448 in the prior year. This can be attributed to higher weaner demand and prices in South Africa. Cattle inventory across the globe remain below pre- Covid-19 levels, while demand for livestock products (wool and beef) have increased. South Africa is no exception, thus the prices for livestock has increased, prompting more weaner exports from Namibia, Agribank added.OutlookThe outlook of cattle farmers remains a mixed bag, Agribank said. “On one hand, cattle prices in 2022 are higher compared to 2021, on the other hand, input expenses are rising. With farmers facing increases in both feed and non-feed input costs, it remains questionable as to whether cattle price increases are enough to offset high production cost.”In addition, South Africa recently imposed 21-day ban of the movement of cattle to curb the spread of the food and mouth disease (FMD), which is among the world&#039;s most infectious animal illnesses.According to Simonis Storm, the Meat Board expects the 21-day movement ban to result in lower marketing activity during August 2022 and highly likely to impact on September 2022 as well, leading to weaker performance in the third quarter of 2022.Fin24 recently reported that the Department of Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development in South Africa was considering lifting the ban on the movement of cattle in provinces with no cases of foot-and-mouth disease . -phillep@nmh.com.na

Significant improvement in Namibia’s beef exports

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-20

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Significant improvement in Namibia’s beef exports

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Namibian Sun 2025-05-20

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