Crops can help agriculture recover
According to the Namibian Agriculture Union, although the marketing of livestock is low, the national herd is growing – thanks to the good rains last and this year.
ELLANIE SMIT
WINDHOEK
The crop sector has the potential to support the recovery of the agriculture industry to its long-term growth path and to contribute to sustainable job creation and poverty reduction.
This according to Agribank, which said the production forecast for August from the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) pointed to supply surplus of certain horticulture products. Better harvest can be associated with a conducive production environment this year.
“Due to the surplus in butternut, cabbage, onions, pumpkins and potatoes in August, the NAB closed the borders to restrict the importation of these products.”
According to the bank, this grants local producers increased access to formal markets, which should encourage optimal production and scaling up of investment going forward.
Livestock
Meanwhile, the good rains received last year and this year encouraged producers to reinvest in their agribusiness to increase production.
According to the Namibian Agriculture Union (NAU), although the marketing of livestock is low, the national herd is growing.
The union said worth noting is that many young animals had been sold in 2019, reducing herd population by almost 50%.
“Calves born at the beginning of 2019 and 2020 were likely to be marketed as oxen or heifers in the second half of 2021 and 2022 respectively.”
It said Namibia exported 75 301 live cattle in 2020 (January to June) and 57 683 live cattle in 2021 (January to June), indicating a 23.4% decline in the exportation of live cattle, of which about 90% were weaners.
In 2021 over the same period, producers auctioned 31.7% fewer weaners than in 2020, which amounts to 59 635 weaners in 2021 and 87 245 in 2020.
The quantity of heifers exported as a percentage of the number of heifers sold on auction was estimated to be 19.5% in 2020 over that period and 15.6% in 2021.
“This demonstrates that a good number of heifers were absorbed by the domestic market for restocking purposes,” according to the NAU.
Low abattoir throughput
The union said as producers continue to restock, throughput to abattoirs is also expected to be low.
Hence, export abattoirs received a throughput of 14 436 head of cattle in the first six months of this year, meaning slaughter at export abattoirs contracted by 31.0% on average.
In terms of sheep, the only remaining sheep export abattoir secured approximately 8 193 animals in the first half of 2021.
Between the first half of 2020 and that of 2021, the live exportation of sheep grew by 19.9%, as the number of live sheep exported were 142 067 and 170 375 respectively.
Furthermore, Agribank said there has been a gradual uptick in the number of cattle marketed from January to July this year, with an average monthly growth of 13%.
“Despite the monthly increase, the number of cattle marketed declined by 21% year-to-date (ending July) when compared to the same period last year.”
It said year-to date, it observed a slowdown in both the slaughtered and live export of cattle by 24% and 15% to 50 067 and 71 701.
“Similarly, the sheep volumes marketed declined by 1% year-to-date compared to the prior year.”
Live export increase
Live export of sheep recorded an increase of 20% while slaughter numbers declined by 37% year-to-date.
“The continued decline in cattle numbers when compared to last year could have an impact on the overall performance of the livestock and agriculture sector,” according to the bank.
It, however, added that despite the slowdown in the overall number of cattle slaughtered, the Katima Mulilo abattoir has observed increase in slaughtered numbers since June this year.
“The pursuit for new markets - Congo and Ghana - for the Northern Communal Area (NCA) beef is a step in the right direction to increase access to formal market and promote sustainable livestock farming by the NCA farmers.”
WINDHOEK
The crop sector has the potential to support the recovery of the agriculture industry to its long-term growth path and to contribute to sustainable job creation and poverty reduction.
This according to Agribank, which said the production forecast for August from the Namibian Agronomic Board (NAB) pointed to supply surplus of certain horticulture products. Better harvest can be associated with a conducive production environment this year.
“Due to the surplus in butternut, cabbage, onions, pumpkins and potatoes in August, the NAB closed the borders to restrict the importation of these products.”
According to the bank, this grants local producers increased access to formal markets, which should encourage optimal production and scaling up of investment going forward.
Livestock
Meanwhile, the good rains received last year and this year encouraged producers to reinvest in their agribusiness to increase production.
According to the Namibian Agriculture Union (NAU), although the marketing of livestock is low, the national herd is growing.
The union said worth noting is that many young animals had been sold in 2019, reducing herd population by almost 50%.
“Calves born at the beginning of 2019 and 2020 were likely to be marketed as oxen or heifers in the second half of 2021 and 2022 respectively.”
It said Namibia exported 75 301 live cattle in 2020 (January to June) and 57 683 live cattle in 2021 (January to June), indicating a 23.4% decline in the exportation of live cattle, of which about 90% were weaners.
In 2021 over the same period, producers auctioned 31.7% fewer weaners than in 2020, which amounts to 59 635 weaners in 2021 and 87 245 in 2020.
The quantity of heifers exported as a percentage of the number of heifers sold on auction was estimated to be 19.5% in 2020 over that period and 15.6% in 2021.
“This demonstrates that a good number of heifers were absorbed by the domestic market for restocking purposes,” according to the NAU.
Low abattoir throughput
The union said as producers continue to restock, throughput to abattoirs is also expected to be low.
Hence, export abattoirs received a throughput of 14 436 head of cattle in the first six months of this year, meaning slaughter at export abattoirs contracted by 31.0% on average.
In terms of sheep, the only remaining sheep export abattoir secured approximately 8 193 animals in the first half of 2021.
Between the first half of 2020 and that of 2021, the live exportation of sheep grew by 19.9%, as the number of live sheep exported were 142 067 and 170 375 respectively.
Furthermore, Agribank said there has been a gradual uptick in the number of cattle marketed from January to July this year, with an average monthly growth of 13%.
“Despite the monthly increase, the number of cattle marketed declined by 21% year-to-date (ending July) when compared to the same period last year.”
It said year-to date, it observed a slowdown in both the slaughtered and live export of cattle by 24% and 15% to 50 067 and 71 701.
“Similarly, the sheep volumes marketed declined by 1% year-to-date compared to the prior year.”
Live export increase
Live export of sheep recorded an increase of 20% while slaughter numbers declined by 37% year-to-date.
“The continued decline in cattle numbers when compared to last year could have an impact on the overall performance of the livestock and agriculture sector,” according to the bank.
It, however, added that despite the slowdown in the overall number of cattle slaughtered, the Katima Mulilo abattoir has observed increase in slaughtered numbers since June this year.
“The pursuit for new markets - Congo and Ghana - for the Northern Communal Area (NCA) beef is a step in the right direction to increase access to formal market and promote sustainable livestock farming by the NCA farmers.”
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