Organic beef gives Namibia peculiar market niche

NAMIBIA – Namibia’s beef has gained an exceptional reputation for its organic quality because of the prohibition of using growth hormones, the strictly regulated use of antibiotics, and mostly free-range production in the country.

 According to the Namibian Organic Association (NOA), the organic production chain has given Namibian beef a competitive advantage over products from other global sources in niche markets.

“Given that Namibia’s beef production is already aligned to organic standards, there is significant opportunity for farmers to convert to full organic beef production to realise the potential of both local and international organic markets,” the NOA said.

“The conversion to organic production involves adhering to specific organic standards along the entire value chain, from production to slaughtering and processing, and to accessing the market.”

Furthermore, the association added that beef farmers have the potential to positively impact the state of the country’s rangelands by converting to more ecologically sound management practices.

In a joint statement with the Knowledge Hub for Organic Agriculture in Southern Africa (KHSA), the association noted livestock farming in Namibia comprises approximately two-thirds of the country’s total agricultural production, and so is an important part of the country’s economy.

“The marketing of organic agricultural products in Namibia adheres to the standards defined by Ifoam. For exports to the lucrative EU or US markets, certification by an accredited third-party certifier is required,” the statement read.

KHSA is part of the Knowledge Centre for Organic Agriculture in Africa, a collaborative country-led partnership funded by the German Federal Ministry of economic cooperation and Development and implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit and non-governmental organisations.

The KHSA project aims to scale up the adoption of organic farming practices through five knowledge hubs in Africa over a four-year period.

According to the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (Ifoam), organic agriculture is a production system that sustains the health of soils, ecosystems and people.

“It uses ecological processes and environmentally friendly practices and products to benefit the shared environment,” the federation noted.

Statistics issued by the Meat Board of Namibia show In terms of exports, the country has sold 1,800 tonnes of beef from the slaughtering of 18 156 head of cattle by the end of May.

This is a decrease compared to the 3,300 tonnes of beef sold last year from 23 396 head of cattle, the statistics indicate.

The Meat Board indicates that beef exports have declined by 22,40% year-to-date, while live exports for May this year were 66,80% higher than for May 2020.

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