Namibia country report

female animals, beneficiaries were forced to sell these reproductive assets to improve theircash flow, but selling breeding stock to cover day-to-day expenses has seriously limited theirprospects for further expansion and reproduction over the medium term.Beneficiaries in the Hardap sample stated that they sold calves and cows to buy food forown consumption. This suggests that by selling cows and calves, cattle owners with smallherds were decreasing their breeding stock. Goat nannies and sheep ewes were sold to buyfood and help relatives. The annual offspring of male lambs and other marketable animalswere sold to buy goods, food and more livestock, and pay for repairs, education and medicalneeds. Indications were that the smaller farmers were gradually decreasing their femaleherds due to their need for immediate cash to cover urgent needs. Beneficiaries with largerherds were selling primarily for commercial reasons.Availability of markets for livestock in both regions did not constitute a problem for thebeneficiaries. Accessing those markets, however, was difficult for many due to their havingno access to transport. Livestock farmers were aware that auctions represented the bestmarketing prospects. While transport could be hired, this was only economically feasible iffarmers combined their livestock into one large consignment that fills the trucks to capacity.Farmers with smaller herds and hence smaller numbers for marketing found it difficult totake their livestock to auctions on their own steam. But sharing consignments also posedchallenges as not all beneficiaries necessarily wanted to market at the same time.Another option available to and often used by beneficiaries was selling directly to individualbuyers and neighbouring farmers, who usually came with their own small pick-up truckswhich allowed for buying and transporting up to 10 small-stock units. This not only gavebeneficiaries the freedom to sell livestock whenever they needed to, but also removed theproblem of transport. Those located closer to auction venues tended to take their livestockto auction themselves. It was estimated that if beneficiaries lived more than 40 km awayfrom an auction venue, it became difficult to pay for transport, whereas distances shorterthan 40 km were manageable.The auction facilities most commonly used by beneficiaries in the Omaheke sample were atPlessisplaas. In many cases they had access to information on prices, and accordingly tookprior decisions on whether or not to sell. Matthias, for example, received price informationfrom a buying agent via his cell phone, but prices were also advertised on shop doors.When the prices were right, he sold quite a few cattle. In July 2008 he sold 30 weaners. Heused his own pick-up to transport his livestock to Plessisplaas and was able to transport upto 5 weaners at a time. Maria at Danel sold 8 to 10 head of cattle per year, and sometimes12. She also took her livestock to the neighbouring farm, Plessisplaas, where private andauction sales took place regularly. She used to obtain price information from the Afrikaansradio service as other community radio stations did not broadcast prices. However, in mostinstances when she sold her stock, price was less important than her need to obtain cash.There is a tendency to market a lot of livestock around the start of the school year whenschool fees have to be paid, even though prices may not be at their peak at that time. DuringLivelihoods Section after B ● Land 5. Farm Reform: Unit Resettlement Namibia country Scheme report (FURS) (2010) ● 105