The Namibian 2004 small stock marketing scheme has failed to discourage live exports of sheep to South Africa, and to promote value-addition in the sector. The government finally succumbed to the failed scheme, and accepted the recommendation from the
high-level panel of the Namibian economy to suspend the scheme. The Meat Board of Namibia (MBN)'s chief marketing officer, Desmond Cloete, said that the small stock marketing scheme was implemented in 2004 with the main objective of value-addition in the secondary industry sector and employment-creation. He added that the implementation of the scheme led to the establishment of four sheep export abattoirs, but farmers responded negatively to the scheme, decreasing their production, and farming with different livestock. "The export and local slaughtering ratio was 1 to 1, however, producers changed their production systems from sheep to cattle or game farming due to the quantities' restrictions. Many farmers also converted from Dorper sheep to fat-tail breeds that were not part of the scheme. Over time, the production of sheep declined dramatically from around 1,4 million marketed in 2004 to 825 000 in 2018," Cloete said.
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