Sheep exports thrive while slaughtering numbers fall at abattoirs
Live sheep exports increased on a month-to-month basis by 15.29% from the 84 510 exported in April to 97 433 exported in May.The Livestock and Livestock Products Board (LLPB) monthly market watch stated that live exports also increased by 43.23% on a year-to-year basis.
However, slaughtering at the export abattoirs decreased by 43.60% between April to May.
“Positive sheep marketing performance was driven by an increase in sheep live exports during the review period," the publication stated.
The LLPB said the majority of live sheep exports were destined for South African abattoirs at 97.58%, followed by Botswana (1.21%), Angola and Zimbabwe (0.61%).
“The South African market continues to be Namibia’s biggest export destination for sheep.”
Goats
A total of 12 211 live goats were exported in May 2024, marking a 41.27% month-on-month increase.
The LLPB noted this as a significant rise in live exports compared to April. South Africa accounted for 86.67% of the total live goat exports, followed by Botswana at 10% and Zimbabwe at 3.33%.
However, overall exports of live goats decreased by 1.54% year-on-year. The total marketing of goats was driven by an increase in live exports.
Pork
A total of 4 111 pigs were slaughtered in May, showing a 0.87% decrease month-on-month from the 4 147 pigs slaughtered in April. According to the LLPB, slaughter rates have generally trended positively, with the highest rate of 4 307 recorded in January 2024.
In May, the Mariental and Halooli abattoirs slaughtered 2 674 and 1 360 pigs, respectively.
The report noted that the pork ceiling price in Namibia remains fixed at N$51.03/kg to mitigate the negative effects of the falling Red Meat Abattoir Association (RMAA) pork price, which is used as the basis for calculating the Namibian ceiling price. The calculated pork ceiling price decreased by 2.25% in May.
South African pork prices have similarly decreased from the N$31.54/kg recorded in April to N$30.73/kg in May. This represents a slight decline of 2.57% on a month-to-month basis.