Milk production drops by 6% as drought continues to rear its ugly head
The ongoing drought has put the dairy industry under threat as milk production declines by over 6% an official said this week as reported by Xinhua this week.
According to the Managing Director of Namibia Dairies Gunther Ling, fodder shortages leading to unsustainable feed prices threaten the existence of Namibia’s dairy industry.
“The decline in milk production is due to poor rainfall received this year, which resulted in unfavourable grazing conditions and reduced availability of animal feed. Raw milk production is significantly reduced, while cream supply is also under pressure,” he said.
Namibia dairies currently produce raw milk from 14 dairy farms.
He said because of the recurring drought in the past few years, four producers have left the industry.
Statistics show that the total market size for fresh and UHT milk and yogurt is 38 million liters per year, of which 62 % is imported.
