Namibia’s livestock industry has faced a tough start to 2025, with sheep marketing dropping significantly in the first quarter due to a shortage of market-ready animals. According to the Livestock and Livestock Products Board (LLPB), the downturn has affected both slaughter and export performance across the board.
Slaughter activity at export approved abattoirs plummeted by 53.9%, while local abattoirs recorded a 21.6% drop. Live sheep exports also declined sharply, down by 44.2% compared to the same period in 2024.
Mutton exports took an even harder hit, falling by 63.3%. During the review period, Namibia exported just 82 707 kg of lamb and mutton to South Africa, Botswana and Norway, well below the 225 411 kg exported in the first quarter of 2024.
The sharp decline is mainly due to reduced throughput at export approved abattoirs and a general shortage of slaughter ready animals, the LLPB noted in its latest report.
Goat marketing also recorded a downturn, falling by 15.1% to 20 758 head marketed in Q1 2025, compared to 24 442 during the same period last year. Similar to the sheep sector, the LLPB attributed the decline to limited availability of animals across all marketing channels.
In contrast to the challenges faced in the small stock segment, the pork industry experienced a significant rise in demand during the first quarter. Namibia processed 12 324 pigs at LLPB approved abattoirs, slightly up from 12 255 in Q1 2024.
However, the demand outpaced local supply, resulting in pork imports rising by a staggering 74.1%. Over 1.9 million kg of pork were imported, with Spain supplying the largest portion at 30.4%, followed by China at 17.8% and South Africa at 17.3%. The rest came from various countries including Botswana, the Netherlands, UK, France and Portugal.
Despite the flood of imports, the LLPB reaffirmed its commitment to supporting local producers through its Pork Market Share Promotion Scheme, which aims to ensure domestic producers retain a fair share of the market.
Meanwhile, Namibia’s poultry sector remained robust. Over 4.4 million chickens were slaughtered for domestic consumption in the first three months of the year, and table egg production reached 23.6 million units.
To support ongoing production, 135 597 day old chicks and 1 799 layers were imported for breeding.
Namibia also exported 3.04 million kg of processed chicken products to regional markets including South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the same time, the country imported 6.6 million kg of poultry, with the majority at 64.2% coming from Poland. Other key suppliers included Brazil at 18.8%, South Africa at 12.4%, and smaller contributions from Argentina, Spain, Ireland, Switzerland, Thailand, Ukraine and Eswatini.
The first quarter of 2025 paints a mixed picture for Namibia’s livestock sector. While small stock marketing struggles amid limited supply, other segments like pork and poultry are experiencing strong demand, though largely met by imports.
Stakeholders will be watching closely to see how local producers respond to these shifts, especially as the country moves deeper into the year with unpredictable weather conditions and fluctuating market dynamics still at play.
