Windhoek
Most of the livestock intake in the communal areas in 2013/14 involved cattle (44.6 percent), followed by pigs (36.6 percent) and sheep (21.6 percent), while the least purchased and acquired livestock were poultry, accounting for only 9.8 percent.
These figures are contained in the Namibia Census of Agricultural Communal Sector Report, published last week. The report also shows that livestock off-take was mainly through consumption, except for pigs and sheep that showed a high percentage (44.7 and 46.5 percent, respectively).
In terms of livestock loss, the resultsof the census indicate that the majority of livestock died from diseases, followed by those that died due to starvation. Livestock were also lost due to theft and predators. Most of the livestock that died due to disease were pigs (55.6 percent), followed by poultry (40.8 percent).
Of those that died because of starvation, the highest percentage recorded were cattle (62.3 percent), followed by sheep and goats, accounting for 43.9 and 34.1 percent respectively. Poultry were lost mainly due to predators (47.2 percent), while pigs (15.4 percent) and sheep (15 percent) were mainly lost to theft.
The census further reveals that the majority of livestock in communal areas – goats (53 567), poultry (46 667), cattle (45 29) and sheep (7 586) – were fed only by grazing/free ranging with some feed, while 18 908 pigs were fed with feeds only. Grazing/free ranging with some feeding was the second prominent feeding method in goats, cattle and sheep while feeding on crop residue was prominent with poultry.
Results also reveal that continuous grazing as the main pasture management system was reported in all regions, except Khomas and Zambezi, where the main pasture management system was rotational grazing on available land. Omustai recorded the highest number (51 136) of households practicing the three types of pasture management systems.
The highest number of households (38 552) practice continuous grazing as the primary management system, with 6 353 households using rotational grazing based on available grazing land, while a further 6 231 households practice rotational grazing based on available water points.