Namibia joins the global beef industry’s loss by exporting 1 652 213kg of beef to various destinations during the first quarter of 2023, compared to 2 043 683kg exported during the same period in 2022.

According to the Livestock and Meat Industry Report released by the Meat Board of Namibia here Tuesday, 61.7 per cent of total beef exported during the period under review went to the Netherlands, 16.6 per cent to China, 11.0 per cent to South Africa, and 8.2 per cent to the UK, while beef exports to the Norwegian market accounted for only 2.3 per cent of total beef exports during this period.

The remaining 0.2 per cent was split between Angola and Botswana.

The report further showed that mutton exports climbed by 270.6 per cent in the first three months of 2023, owing mostly to increasing production quantities. A total of 158 634kg of mutton was transported to South Africa and 59 979kg to Norway.

Imports of meat and meat products fell considerably during the period under review, at 268 141kg in 2023, a 50.3 per cent decrease from 539 689kg imported during the same period in 2022.

It further stated that during the first quarter of 2023, a total of 35 694kg of mutton, primarily obtained from China and Australia in the form of offal products, were imported, compared to 123 471kg imported during the same time in 2022.

Year-on-year mutton imports fell by 71.1 per cent and this could be related to greater availability of offal, which typically accounts for the majority of imports and is now provided by local abattoirs as slaughtering improves, the report said.

Furthermore, the report stated that the marketing of livestock is expected to increase during the 2023 period, as farmers are expected to off-take their animals at a much higher rate to avoid losses due to unfavourable rainfall conditions expected during the remainder of the year.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency