Namibia’s livestock market recorded sharp declines in small stock exports, while pig slaughtering showed a moderate recovery in August 2025, according to data from the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA) and the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN).
The NSA reported that the Index for Live Small Stock Exports fell by 26.9% month-on-month, following a 26.8% decline in July. Year-on-year, the index contracted by 52.6%, marking one of the steepest annual drops in 2025.
“In August 2025, the Small Stock Exports to Approved Abattoirs and Butchers Index fell by 22.0% on a monthly basis, following a decline of 18.2% in July 2025. On an annual basis, however, the index rose by 49.2%,” the NSA stated.
Total sheep marketed declined by 31.32%, from 52,098 in August 2024 to 35,782 in August 2025.
Live sheep exports dropped by 36.83%, while export abattoir performance improved by 20.21%. Slaughtering at B and C class abattoirs decreased by 24.42%, from 7,002 to 5,292 sheep.
“Most live sheep exports, about 98.24%, were destined for South Africa, followed by Ghana with 1.28%, Zambia with 0.26%, Botswana with 0.13%, and Zimbabwe with 0.10%,” the Livestock Board said.
Goat marketing also declined by 21.42%, from 13,872 goats in August 2024 to 10,883 in August 2025. Live goat exports fell by 24.36% year-on-year and 13.09% month-on-month.
“South Africa accounted for 94.23% of total live goat exports, followed by Ghana with 3.35%, Zimbabwe with 1.59%, Angola with 0.48%, Zambia with 0.32%, and Botswana with 0.03%,” the review noted.
In contrast, pig slaughtering showed a rebound. A total of 4,264 pigs were slaughtered in August 2025, up 2.21% from a year earlier and 2.77% higher than July’s 4,149 head.
“During the review period, the Mariental and Halooli abattoirs slaughtered 2,757 and 1,264 pigs respectively, while no pigs were exported live,” the Board reported.
