Pig, poultry and dairy sectors show stability amid import dependencies
Namibia's pig, poultry and dairy sectors demonstrated relative stability during the first half of 2025, though continued reliance on imports remains a significant characteristic across these agricultural segments, according to the Second Quarterly Agri-Review compiled by the Namibian Agricultural Union (NAU).
The broader agricultural sector experienced favourable cost conditions during the twelve months ending June 2025, with livestock production costs declining by 2%. This reduction was primarily driven by a 10% decrease in fuel prices, which helped offset higher electricity costs that rose by 3% in the second quarter. These improved cost conditions provided relief across all agricultural sectors, including pig, poultry, and dairy operations.
Pig production and import patterns
Pig marketing showed modest growth, increasing by 4% from 24 699 head marketed during January to June 2024 to 25 508 head in 2025. A total of 205 pigs were exported to Botswana during this period. Of the pigs slaughtered at local abattoirs, 64% were processed at Mariental Piggery, 29% at Haloli Piggery, and the remaining 7% at other local facilities.
Namibia's pork production currently meets 45% of local demand, necessitating continued imports to satisfy consumer needs. The ongoing closure of the South African border due to Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has required sourcing imports from European suppliers. Import patterns shifted significantly during the first half of 2025 due to disease-related supply disruptions.
Germany, previously Namibia’s main pork supplier, experienced an FMD outbreak that caused its exports to plummet from 1 944 tonnes in 2024 to 338 tonnes in the first half of 2025. This shortfall was compensated by Spain, which increased its exports from 658 tonnes to 1 567 tonnes over the same period. Other contributing suppliers included the United Kingdom and China, bringing total import volume to 3 470 tonnes from January to June 2025.
Notably, offal constituted the majority of these imports at 51%, followed by cooked and processed pork at 30%. The pork ceiling price remained fixed at N$51.03 per kg during the first six months of the year.
Poultry and egg sectors
The poultry sector marketed about 9.3 million chickens during the first half of 2025, with production concentrated among two main processors. Namibia Poultry Industries (NPI) handled 86% of poultry slaughter, while Kadila Poultry processed the remaining 14%. In the egg sector, domestic production reached about 52.4 million eggs between January and June 2025.
Despite domestic production, imports remained substantial across both segments. During the first half of 2025, 11 388 tonnes of poultry meat and poultry products were imported into Namibia, with Poland serving as the dominant supplier, accounting for 59% of imports. Additionally, 15.36 million eggs were imported during the same period.
The composition of poultry imports reveals specific market dynamics, with 67% consisting of mechanically deboned meat (MDM), while the remainder comprised other poultry products. These import levels represent what the report identifies as a major threat to the local poultry industry, indicating ongoing competitive pressure from international suppliers.
Dairy sector performance
The dairy sector demonstrated stable pricing and increased production during the first half of 2025. Average milk prices remained relatively unchanged at N$7.42 per litre, representing only a marginal N$0.02 decrease from the previous year’s price during the same period. This price stability provided predictability for both producers and consumers in the dairy market.
Production showed positive growth, increasing by about 482 000 litres from around 7.6 million litres in the first half of 2024 to approximately 8.1 million litres in 2025. This 6.4% increase in production volume, combined with stable pricing, suggests improved efficiency and potentially expanded dairy operations within the sector.
The broader agricultural sector experienced favourable cost conditions during the twelve months ending June 2025, with livestock production costs declining by 2%. This reduction was primarily driven by a 10% decrease in fuel prices, which helped offset higher electricity costs that rose by 3% in the second quarter. These improved cost conditions provided relief across all agricultural sectors, including pig, poultry, and dairy operations.
Pig production and import patterns
Pig marketing showed modest growth, increasing by 4% from 24 699 head marketed during January to June 2024 to 25 508 head in 2025. A total of 205 pigs were exported to Botswana during this period. Of the pigs slaughtered at local abattoirs, 64% were processed at Mariental Piggery, 29% at Haloli Piggery, and the remaining 7% at other local facilities.
Namibia's pork production currently meets 45% of local demand, necessitating continued imports to satisfy consumer needs. The ongoing closure of the South African border due to Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has required sourcing imports from European suppliers. Import patterns shifted significantly during the first half of 2025 due to disease-related supply disruptions.
Germany, previously Namibia’s main pork supplier, experienced an FMD outbreak that caused its exports to plummet from 1 944 tonnes in 2024 to 338 tonnes in the first half of 2025. This shortfall was compensated by Spain, which increased its exports from 658 tonnes to 1 567 tonnes over the same period. Other contributing suppliers included the United Kingdom and China, bringing total import volume to 3 470 tonnes from January to June 2025.
Notably, offal constituted the majority of these imports at 51%, followed by cooked and processed pork at 30%. The pork ceiling price remained fixed at N$51.03 per kg during the first six months of the year.
Poultry and egg sectors
The poultry sector marketed about 9.3 million chickens during the first half of 2025, with production concentrated among two main processors. Namibia Poultry Industries (NPI) handled 86% of poultry slaughter, while Kadila Poultry processed the remaining 14%. In the egg sector, domestic production reached about 52.4 million eggs between January and June 2025.
Despite domestic production, imports remained substantial across both segments. During the first half of 2025, 11 388 tonnes of poultry meat and poultry products were imported into Namibia, with Poland serving as the dominant supplier, accounting for 59% of imports. Additionally, 15.36 million eggs were imported during the same period.
The composition of poultry imports reveals specific market dynamics, with 67% consisting of mechanically deboned meat (MDM), while the remainder comprised other poultry products. These import levels represent what the report identifies as a major threat to the local poultry industry, indicating ongoing competitive pressure from international suppliers.
Dairy sector performance
The dairy sector demonstrated stable pricing and increased production during the first half of 2025. Average milk prices remained relatively unchanged at N$7.42 per litre, representing only a marginal N$0.02 decrease from the previous year’s price during the same period. This price stability provided predictability for both producers and consumers in the dairy market.
Production showed positive growth, increasing by about 482 000 litres from around 7.6 million litres in the first half of 2024 to approximately 8.1 million litres in 2025. This 6.4% increase in production volume, combined with stable pricing, suggests improved efficiency and potentially expanded dairy operations within the sector.
