Farmers in the Otjinene Constituency have been advised to sell off some of their livestock as their prices are dropping due to poor rainfall.

The call was made by various experts during a farmers' seminar held at Otjinene in the Omaheke Region.

Addressing farmers, Technical Advisor at MeaCo Namibia, Paul Tjaimba, shared the status of livestock prices, saying that South Africa is opting to buy from local farmers in that country, leaving Namibian livestock producers in limbo.

This, he said, has a huge impact on livestock prices in Namibia.

"Prices are very low at auctions. We said yes because this time of year is of such a nature that the prices will be low because, as you can see, we don't have any rain at all, and, on the other hand, the market where we used to take livestock to South Africa, our neighbor, is now busy buying their produce from their own farmers, as a result, farmers are suffering. So we should look at the best alternative, where farmers are going to have the best market. That's why we're there as MeatCo to tell farmers this message: that all the animals they have are slaughter-ready; at Meatco, you can get a good price between 50 and 61 dollars."

Also speaking at the occasion was Victor Klazen, manager at FAN Meat.

"The Meat Board is adequately well equipped to inform farmers about the meat and livestock industries with regard to the information, technical support, and administrative support, and that is evident today as we have traveled this many kilometers just to attend this farmers' information session with you because we are valuing farmers, the Meat Board really values farmers, and we like to meet the farmers halfway."

Agrovet Director Rachel Kauatjitotje advised farmers about animal health protocols and what drugs to use and when to apply them.

"Vaccines need to be kept very well in the cold, and sometimes farmers don't keep vaccines very well, so we're also helping them. We're also helping farmers vaccinate their animals; we go around mobile to farmers as most of our farmers are abroad, so we are here to ensure that animals are vaccinated."