Sustainability key to dairy sector growth

Dairy sector honours top performers
Namibia's dairy sector showed signs of stabilisation last year, with a 3.8% increase in volume compared to the previous year.
Ellanie Smit
  • 9 Months Ago - 2023-08-01 00:00:00
While the dairy sector has the potential for growth, ensuring sustainable development is crucial.
According to the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), the production of raw milk experienced a decline from 23.9 million litres in 2018 to 15 million litres in 2021.
However, the sector showed signs of stabilisation in 2022, with a 3.8% increase in volume compared to the previous year.
"Towards the end of 2022, there was a price increase that contributed to a 5.2% year-on-year rise in the fourth quarter, resulting in a 5.3% increase in production value, estimated to have grown from N$93.7 million to N$98.6 million."
Best of
The Dairy Producers’ Association (DPA) recently honoured its members with a gala dinner and awards night in Gobabis.
For the second consecutive year, Dirk van Wyk was awarded as the Best Dairy Producer of the Year, while !Aimab Superfarm received second place and Riaan Barnard was awarded third place.
Frikkie Duvenhage received the award for the lowest bacteria count, while Barnard was also awarded for the most accurate milk production forecast and !Aimab Superfarm was also awarded for the best-quality milk delivered.

Information and overview
The focus of this year’s DPA members meeting and information day was 'Towards a sustainable long-term survival of the dairy sector'.
During the meeting, members reviewed the association's financial year 2022/2023, and Namibia Dairies provided an overview of the market.
According to the NAU, the sector was satisfied with the inclusion of dairy under the Livestock and Livestock Product Act, formerly known as the Meat Industry Act, which is currently being discussed in the National Assembly.
"However, it is hoped that the process will be finalised in a timely manner to ensure the sector's survival.
The event featured notable speakers with extensive knowledge and expertise, such as Jompie Burger, who delivered a presentation on dairy standards; Kenneth Botha, who provided insights into the causes of milk flocculation and prevention; and Dr Koos Coetzee, who concluded the day with strategies for a sustainable Namibian dairy sector.