GOBABIS – Although the country’s beef sector has made tremendous inroads on the global stage, more work still needs to be done to further bolster local production and marketing value chains to ensure that Namibian beef remains in high demand worldwide.
These were the observations of Vice President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah during Friday’s Omaheke Farmers’ Engagement Day at Gobabis, where she took time to assess Omaheke’s drought situation and also exchange notes with the region’s commercial, communal and resettled farmers.
While she was impressed that the region has kept true to its roots and identity as one of the country’s leading beef-producing and cattle-exporting regions, she, however, raised concern with Namibia’s over-reliance on the South African market.
“We are doing very well as a country, and everywhere in the world, people keep talking about Namibian beef. As a country, we have worked hard to bring our beef to the level of global acceptance, and the quality of our beef also speaks for itself. But what concerns me at times is our reliance on the South African market, which is not safe for our local industry. As I said, our beef is in demand all over the world, and it is now up to us to make use of these open market opportunities and build a resilient beef sector at home,” said Nandi-Ndaitwah.
“But in the international market, there are standards and certifications to be met, and they can only be met through continuous value-addition to our beef products. It all starts with you our valued farmers. It starts by developing our feedlot, and making sure we condition our animals to a point where they meet global standards.”
“The African, European, Chinese, Asian and American markets all remain open to Namibian beef. But it’s up to you the farmers to add value to your products in order to penetrate those markets. Well, I know that the South African market is easily accessible to our farmers, but whenever they close their borders for imports for various reasons, we suffer badly as a sector and as a country. So, let’s look beyond that market, and see how we can grow our sector.”
Drought & markets
The vice president admitted that the recurring drought has made life harder for local farmers, as most were forced to destock their animals, while many others were left with no choice but to close their farming operations, which became unsustainable due to the prolonged drought and poor market prices.
“It’s very difficult for most of our farmers, not just here in Omaheke, but also in other parts of the country. But we have to fight on and see how we can become innovative with our farming enterprises in order to counter the current challenges. In whatever we do, let’s not stop adding value to our operations and beef products. As indicated, the world loves our beef, it is now up to you the farmers to keep the world hooked on our tasty beef,” added Nandi-Ndaitwah.
Currently valued at around N$6.3 billion, the Namibian livestock farming sector is in dire need of growth and that can only be realised when the sector becomes fully profitable to producers, she further asserted.
The Omaheke Farmers’ Day was also an opportunity for the vice president to receive reports on the region’s drought situation, water provision projects by the government in Omaheke and the rollout of drought relief aid.
Nandi-Ndaitwah was also briefed on the progress and challenges of the fodder and grazing subsidies by the government to the region’s farmers, while numerous agricultural unions, cooperatives, associations and organised groups made various submissions.
The Namibian context
In the global context, Namibia’s red meat industry is equivalent to the proverbial grain of sand in the desert. The 1.2 million cattle in Namibia’s herd represents less than a quarter percent of the global herd, which amounted to 1 billion in 2022.
The production of beef worldwide is estimated to amount to 59 million tonnes in 2022, compared with Meatco’s meat processed at 8 588 tonnes in 2022/23. Due to Namibia’s nominal share of global beef production, it is imperative for the country to focus on selected niche and premium markets for its high-quality products.
Even though agriculture’s contribution to the Namibian GDP (excluding the fishing sector) over the last five years has been just under 4%, it remains one of Namibia’s most important sectors, as the majority of Namibia’s population is dependent directly or indirectly on the agricultural sector for their livelihoods.
Livestock farming contributes to approximately two-thirds of Namibia’s annual agricultural production, with crop farming and forestry making up the remaining one-third. -ohembapu@nepc.com.na