Production constraints and perceived marketing problems of stock farmers in some districts of the northern communal areas of Namibia

Abstract

In an endeavour to improve the livestock production and particularly the marketing of livestock in the Northern Communal Areas of Namibia, this study analyses the perception of livestock farmers in this regard. The low off-take percentage is the most serious production constraint, but marketing, although a constraint, is not one of the most serious problems. Different traders and marketing outlets are compared in relation to livestock farmers' preferences, which are less determined by commercial considerations than by the sporadic need of acquiring additional cash when required. The perceptions tend to vary very significantly between the various districts, which is an indication of their adjustability through interventions.