The wind-down of Farmers Meat Mariental has hit Namibia’s sheep slaughter volumes, with throughput at export-approved abattoirs plunging 78.78% month-on-month to just 814 head in August 2026.
The decline comes after Hartlief announced in August that the Mariental export abattoir would permanently cease operations by the end of September 2026.
According to the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia’s September Mutton and Chevon Market Report, the reduction in export-abattoir activity contributed to a 36.06% month-on-month decline in total sheep slaughtering to 7,535 head.
“The sharp reduction in export-abattoir throughput coincided with the wind-down of operations at Farmers Meat Mariental following Hartlief’s announcement in August that the export abattoir would permanently cease operations by the end of September 2026,” the LLPB said.
Slaughtering at B&C class abattoirs also declined, falling 15.44% month-on-month to 6,721 head.
The LLPB expects the closure to continue weighing on the export-abattoir channel, with sheep likely to be redirected towards live exports and domestic abattoirs.
Overall sheep marketing fell 20.43% month-on-month from 68,233 head in July to 54,289 head in August. Despite the decline, volumes remained 43.43% higher than in August 2025.
Live exports continued to account for the bulk of sheep marketed during the month, with 46,754 head exported, down 20.35% from July.
South Africa absorbed almost all Namibia’s live sheep exports, receiving 46,669 head, equivalent to 99.82% of the total. Of these, 41,243 were destined for slaughter, 5,028 for feedlots and 398 for breeding.
Producer prices were mixed during August, with the A2 sheep price falling 5.99% month-on-month to N$92.82 per kilogram.
The C2 price increased 2.42% to N$62.61/kg, while the all-grade carcass price rose 0.99% to N$68.38/kg.
