Livestock sector records growth…despite FMD disruptions

The livestock industry recorded positive year-to-date growth, supported by strong producer prices, but Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD)-related movement restrictions disrupted September marketing activities.

FMD disruptions led to notable declines in marketing and live exports across the country’s extensive sector.

According to Utjevera Tjiramba, the trade and strategic marketing statistician at the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia (LLPBN), year‑to‑date cattle marketing totalled 217 007 head, a 30.9% increase on the 165 755 head marketed in the corresponding 2025 period.

However, on a month-on-month basis, marketing declined by 27.2% to 21 387 head in September 2026, down from 29 389 head in August 2026, reflecting disruptions to livestock movements and marketing activities following the FMD outbreak and the associated disease control measures.

Live exports increased by 58.8% year-to-date to 75 578 head, compared with
47 594 head in the corresponding 2025 period. “Export-approved abattoirs also recorded strong growth, with throughput rising 34.6% to 104 505 head by the end of September 2026. By contrast, B&C class abattoirs recorded an 8.8% decline to 36 924 head over the same period. Beef exports continued to perform strongly, increasing 51.0% year-to-date to 14 348 192 kg, compared with 9 499 218 kg in the corresponding 2025 period,” highlighted Tjiramba.

On a year-on-year basis, September 2026 exports rose by 47.5% to 1 624 743 kg, up from 1 101 893 kg in September 2025, reflecting stronger export demand and higher slaughter throughput.

Hides and processed leather exports also recorded robust growth, up 66.2% year-to-date to 1 264 234 kg, compared with 760 454 kg in the corresponding 2025 period.

Sheep sector

Year-to-date sheep marketing totalled
611 407 head, a 39.1% increase on 439 395 head in the corresponding 2025 period, with September 2026 marketing up 7.9% year on year to 33 565 head.

Export-approved abattoirs processed
48 557 head year-to-date, a 6.2% increase on the 45 706 head recorded in the corresponding 2025 period, supported by favourable carcass prices.

In contrast, domestic abattoir throughput declined by 9.5% to 70 794 head by the end of September 2026. Additionally, year-to-date live sheep exports increased by 56.0% to 492 056 head, compared with 315 459 head in the corresponding period of 2025.

However, month-on-month live exports fell 39.4% to 28 311 head in September 2026, down from 46 754 head in August 2026, partly reflecting marketing disruptions and movement restrictions associated with FMD control measures.

Year‑to‑date lamb and mutton exports rose 25.5%, from 407 011 kg in 2025 to 510 618 kg in 2026. South Africa remained the leading export destination, accounting for 46.9% of total exports, followed by Norway at 25.0% and Zambia at 10.3%. The Netherlands, Botswana, and the United Kingdom collectively accounted for the remaining 17.8% of export volumes. Meanwhile, sheep skin exports grew strongly, increasing to 141 008 kg in 2026 from 64 380 kg in the corresponding period of 2025.

Goat sector

Year-to-date goat marketing declined by 6.5% to 85 476 head in 2026, compared with 91 401 head during the corresponding period of 2025. Despite the overall decline, LLPBN-registered abattoirs increased slaughter throughput by 17.7%, processing 2 653 heads compared to 2 254 heads over the same period in 2025.

Tjiramba said live exports remained the predominant marketing channel, accounting for 95.1% of total goats marketed, with 78 746 head exported to South African feedlots, while the remaining 4.9% was distributed across regional markets including Angola, Botswana, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Kenya.

Goat auction prices softened during the review period, with the average goat lamb auction price falling 5.3% year-on-year to N$40.34/kg from N$42.58/kg. Similarly, Kapater and ram prices declined by 4.9% and 7.0%, averaging N$39.68/kg and N$32.02/kg, respectively.

Pork sector

Year-to-date pig marketing increased by 3.5% to 40 544 head in 2026, up from
39 179 head in the corresponding period in 2025. However, on a year-on-year basis, marketing declined by 34.1%, falling from 4 959 head to 3 270 head.

Under the Pork Market Share Promotion Scheme (PMSPS), the pork ceiling price for the third quarter is N$47.61/kg, with adjustments as needed during the quarter.

Year‑to‑date pork imports totalled 5 860 947 kg, up 14.7% from 5 108 944 kg in the corresponding period of 2025.

The increase reflects greater reliance on imports to meet domestic demand, with offal accounting for 75.4% of total year-to-date import volumes. South Africa remained the leading supplier, contributing 30.9% of imports, followed by Botswana (16.5%), Belgium (14.6%), and Spain (12.2%).

The remaining 25.8% originated from a diversified supplier base, including Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Denmark, Brazil, Australia, China, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Finland.

“The livestock and livestock products industry recorded a positive year-to-date performance across various marketing channels. However, the growth trajectory was interrupted by the sector’s exposure to FMD at the end of the third quarter. Sector performance is expected to decline in the last quarter of the year, and performance going into next year will be determined by the effectiveness of disease containment measures as well as the uptake of alternative meat markets,” stated Tjiramba.

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