Govt to allow more sheep exports to SA

THE Ministry of Agriculture has temporarily back-pedalled on its policy to have more sheep slaughtered locally and fewer exported to South Africa.

This came after the private sector urged the Ministry to change the existing export quota over the next few weeks due to a pending drought and bottlenecks occurring at abattoirs. The ratio of one sheep exported for every six sheep slaughtered locally will be lifted either today or early next week, pending the gazetting of the new ratio, which is 3:1.This means that only three sheep need to be slaughtered locally to export one animal on the hoof to South African abattoirs.If a farmer wants to market 300 sheep, he may now export 100 of them while having 200 slaughtered in Namibia.Due to the erratic and poor rains this rainy season, many farmers are now selling their small stock to abattoirs for slaughter, trying to save their nucleus breeding herds.Little grazing is available because of the poor rains in many parts of the country.However, local abattoirs could not keep up with the sheep sent for slaughter over the past few weeks and trucks full of bleating sheep queued up at the slaughterhouses.Animals lost weight while waiting for slaughter and farmers are losing money, as they are paid per kg slaughtering mass.”I was approached by industry stakeholders in this matter.The Ministry is granting through Cabinet to export sheep on hoof according to the ration 3:1 for two months.After that period the situation will be assessed again,” said Agriculture Minister Dr Nickey Iyambo in the National Assembly yesterday.It was however planned to revert to the 6:1 ratio at a later stage, Iyambo added.The ratio of one sheep exported for every six sheep slaughtered locally will be lifted either today or early next week, pending the gazetting of the new ratio, which is 3:1.This means that only three sheep need to be slaughtered locally to export one animal on the hoof to South African abattoirs.If a farmer wants to market 300 sheep, he may now export 100 of them while having 200 slaughtered in Namibia. Due to the erratic and poor rains this rainy season, many farmers are now selling their small stock to abattoirs for slaughter, trying to save their nucleus breeding herds.Little grazing is available because of the poor rains in many parts of the country.However, local abattoirs could not keep up with the sheep sent for slaughter over the past few weeks and trucks full of bleating sheep queued up at the slaughterhouses.Animals lost weight while waiting for slaughter and farmers are losing money, as they are paid per kg slaughtering mass.”I was approached by industry stakeholders in this matter.The Ministry is granting through Cabinet to export sheep on hoof according to the ration 3:1 for two months.After that period the situation will be assessed again,” said Agriculture Minister Dr Nickey Iyambo in the National Assembly yesterday.It was however planned to revert to the 6:1 ratio at a later stage, Iyambo added.