Livestock marketing records positive performance in first quarter
The total number of cattle and sheep marketed improved month-on-month with 17,493 cattle and 56,163 sheep marketed in March 2022, a recent report by Agribank shows.
Cattle marketing is returning to a positive figure when compared to post-pandemic levels, despite a slight decrease of 1% from 17,711 recorded in February 2022. Meanwhile, beef prices per kilogram averaged N$60.3 for the first quarter of 2022.
“World beef prices are expected to remain on an upward trajectory for the rest of the year, on the back of high input costs and low supply amidst the robust demand from China,” Agribank noted.
The March figure in sheep marketing is a 74% increase from the 32,243 in February 2022, largely driven by live sheep exports to South Africa, due to the lack of competitive prices in the Namibian market.
Further, a total of 9,401 goats were marketed in March 2022, a 29% increase from the prior month.
“The marketing goat sector is traditionally dominated by live exports to the Kwazulu-Natal province in South Africa, as local abattoirs are not offering competitive prices,” Agribank stated.
