WINDHOEK – When selling animals, producers should decide for themselves where they get the best conditions and prices.
Meatco’s overall objective is to pay producers the maximum sustainable prices for their cattle. This is why Meatco pays all producers the same price, both from South of the Veterinary Cordon Fence (SVCF) and from the Northern Communal Areas (NCAs), says Selma Shipanga, communication officer at Meatco She says the most common reason for selling animals is to make money to pay for living expenses, but there are many other reasons for selling your cattle. These include:
• Selecting and culling non-productive animals to improve the genetic quality of the herd.
• Culling non-productive animals to leave more grazing to productive ones.
• Selling market-ready animals for cash to buy vaccines, lick and medication.
• Selling oxen to buy more cows or young animals.
• Selling old cows to provide grazing for young heifers.
• Selling excess animals in times of insufficient fodder, overstocking and drought.
“If you, for example, choose to keep the entire herd in a year of poor grazing, all the animals will suffer. Each of them will have less grass, as they have to share what is available. The cows in particular will suffer, because if they have calves or are pregnant, it is more difficult for them to walk to grazing areas that are far from water,” says Shipanga adding that keeping oxen until they are fully grown requires enough grazing for all of them, as well as for the cows that produce new calves, and for all the younger animals too. When the animals become too many, it is a good idea to slaughter some of those that are market-ready.
“When slaughtering non-productive animals, the price per kg is often not as good as when we sell a market-ready animal. But in the long run, the quality of all animals in the herd will improve if the weaker ones are not taking grazing from those who perform well,” she informs.
Which animals to sell?
Shipanga says in a year when there is not enough grazing and some animals must be sold, it is best to keep the heifers and cows that have produced a calf every year so far. These are the animals that know best how to produce a calf, even in difficult years. If many animals have to be sold, the next group to be sold are the cows that do not regularly calve, as they are most likely to lose condition when the grazing is poor and will not conceive again.
Even in good years, many farmers want to sell only those animals that are in a good condition because they want to get a good price. Sometimes it is a better idea to slaughter and eat or sell weak animals, so that only those that perform well remain in the herd and pass on their abilities and genes. We may get less money for these weak animals, but at least the remaining ones have a better chance of growing and breeding. This is the cheapest way of improving the whole herd’s quality.