Namibia’s slaughter-ready animals witnessed a staggering growth of 65.8% during the month of July 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, official data reveals.
According to the Meat Board of Namibia, the surge can be attributed to the continued availability of such animals to export-approved abattoirs, along with increased marketing efforts since May 2023.
The board said the increased slaughtering activity at export-approved abattoirs has been accompanied by commendable producer prices during the month under review.
“The persistent endeavours of export-approved abattoirs to access lucrative export markets are yielding substantial gains, which are now trickling down to the producers,” the Meat Board of Namibia said.
As a result of these positive developments, “the all-grade beef producer price experienced a slight increase, climbing by N$0.07/kg to N$60.26/kg in July 2023 from the N$60.19/kg paid to farmers during July 2022,” the Meat Board revealed.
Meanwhile, weaner prices south of the Veterinary Cordon in Namibia witnessed an increase from N$26.42/kg in July 2023, compared to N$23.48/kg in June of the same year.
However, a year-on-year analysis shows a decline of N$7.76/kg from the July 2022 level of N$34.18/kg to N$26.42/kg in July 2023, marking a 22.7% decrease.
In stark contrast, South African weaner prices remained higher than their Namibian counterparts, averaging N$33.75/kg in July 2023.
“This price disparity has widened the gap between Namibian and South African weaner prices to N$7.33/kg, making South African weaners notably pricier than Namibian weaners,” the Meat Board said.
Furthermore, the report noted that there are positive prospects on the horizon as the Rundu export abattoir is anticipated to resume operations in the coming months.
“This development will serve as an additional marketing channel for Northern farmers and is expected to complement beef exports to regional markets effectively,” the report stated.
Additionally, the impressive growth in the slaughter-ready livestock segment in July 2023 is part of a broader trend, with year-to-date marketing within the cattle sector standing at 67,417 animals, compared to 67,262 animals marketed during the same period in 2022.
Notably, “the increased activities at export-approved abattoirs during July 2023 have offset the declines recorded within the B & class slaughter segment, as well as live exports, which experienced declines of 61.6% and 0.1%, respectively.”
Despite a decline in the demand for weaners during July 2023, the figures still represent an increase from the June 2023 level, with 15,577 animals exported during July 2023, up from 12,482 animals in June 2023.
