In the first half of 2024, Namibia’s beef export market showcased impressive growth, with total exports reaching 11.0 million kilogrammes, a significant increase compared to the 6.5 million kilogrammes exported in the same period in 2023.
According to Simonis Storm, the European Union (EU) emerged as the largest recipient, importing 4,432,717 kilogrammes of beef, which accounted for 40.4% of the total exports.
The United Kingdom (UK) followed as the second-largest market, importing 2,592,353 kilogrammes, representing 23.6% of the total export share.
South Africa (RSA) also played a vital role, importing 2,332,288 kilogrammes of Namibian beef, which constituted 21.3% of the total exports. Norway, a key market for Namibia, received 1,340,267 kilogrammes, amounting to 12.22% of overall exports.
“While the bulk of exports were directed to these primary markets, smaller volumes were shipped to China, Angola, and the USA. China imported 264,888 kilogrammes, making up 2.4% of the total, while Angola received 4,602 kilogrammes (0.04%), and the USA took in 976 kilogrammes, representing a mere 0.01% of total exports,” said Simonis Storm.
Livestock marketing continues on a positive trajectory, with the first half of 2024 showing robust performance, particularly in response to ongoing drought conditions.
The cattle, sheep, and goat sectors favoured live exports over slaughtering, while pig slaughtering remained predominant. In terms of livestock marketing, cattle saw a substantial increase of 40.2%, with 198,712 heads marketed compared to 141,687 in the first half of 2023. Sheep marketing also expanded by 13.0%, reaching 507,456 heads, while goat marketing experienced a modest rise of 2.9%, totalling 60,514 heads. The pig sector showed an 8.5% increase in marketing during the first half of 2024. Live exports demonstrated remarkable growth, particularly in the cattle sector, where exports surged by 61.9%, reaching 109,227 heads. Sheep live exports also rose by 21.5%, largely driven by demand from South Africa, while goat exports increased by 6.2%, maintaining their traditional market in KwaZuluNatal, as reported by the Livestock and Livestock Products Board. Pig exports, however, remained minimal, with only 70 heads exported in 2024, a slight change from none in 2023.
Slaughtering trends presented a mixed picture. Cattle slaughtering increased by 20.4%, totalling 89,485 heads. However, sheep slaughtering declined by 13.3% to 95,102 heads, likely due to the sector’s shift towards live exports. Goat slaughtering experienced a sharp drop of 58.6%, reflecting a preference for live exports, while pig slaughtering saw a slight increase of 9.0%. Despite this, the pig market remained heavily influenced by imports, with a ceiling price of N$51.03/kg.