The total number of livestock marketed was 146 841 in April this year, reflecting a 6,4% year on year increase compared to April last year which recorded 137 979.
This is also the highest record of livestock marketed since June 2019. From January 2024 to April 2024, there was a general upward trend in total livestock marketed, despite some fluctuations, according to a report by Simonis Storm Securities.
Breaking down by livestock type, 32 795 cattle were marketed in April 2024, up 31,2% year on year from 25 004 in April 2023. Sheep numbers rose marginally by 0,5% year on year, from 100 696 to 101 209.
The goat market saw a slight increase of 0,8% year on year with 8 690 marketed compared to 8 624 the previous year. Pigs experienced a 13,5% rise, from 3655 to 4147.
Simonis Storm Securities said overall, while the livestock market continues to grow, the rate of increase is slowing. Cattle and pigs have shown substantial growth, whereas the sheep market remains robust with slight growth, and the goat market shows minimal growth, suggesting a stable but niche demand.
“Given the ongoing drought conditions, these figures suggest that farmers might be offloading more livestock to reduce the pressure on scarce water and feed resources. The marked increase in the number of cattle and sheep marketed could be attributed to the need to manage herd sizes during the drought, aiming to sustain remaining livestock with the limited resources available,” Simonis said.
The total number of livestock slaughtered at abattoirs in Namibia was 36 828 in April 2024, reflecting a modest 2,8% year on year increase compared to the same period in 2023. This total includes 15 976 cattle, 16 699 sheep, six goats and 4147 pigs.
Notably, the number of cattle slaughtered has significantly increased from 8103 in January to a peak of 15 976 in April. Similarly, sheep slaughtering has risen from 12 836 in January to 16 699 in April. The number of goats slaughtered remained minimal, with only 6 recorded in April, while pig slaughtering remained relatively stable.
Namibia exported a total of 110 013 livestock, predominantly to South Africa during the period under review. This total includes 16 819 cattle, 84 510 sheep, and 8684 goats. Compared to March 2024, which recorded 109 107 livestock, there was a slight increase in total exports.
In January 2024, Namibia exported 47 441 livestock, which included 14 467 cattle, 26 399 sheep, and 6575 goats. This number grew significantly in February to 77 411, with cattle exports rising to 21 608 and sheep exports nearly doubling to 48 242.
From January to April 2024, Namibia exported 4,735,663 kilograms of beef, with a substantial portion going to the EU (36,8%) and the UK (31,1%). South Africa received 16,8%, and Norway took 11,9%. Smaller quantities were exported to China (3,1%), Angola (0,04%), and the USA (0,02%).
