The Meat Board of Namibia wants the protocol on the export of beef to China to be amended to include lamb. The Board's Chief Marketing Officer Desmond Cloete says the export of bone-in beef to the populous Asian nation should be changed and allow for the similar export of mutton. Cloete stressed that Namibian sheep need to be exported to the lucrative market of China where other countries, such as Australia and New Zealand, are also selling their lamb. He wants the Directorate of Veterinary Services to amend the protocol to allow for small stock to also be exported in bone-in, the same as cattle. Namibia currently exports its lamb and mutton to the lucrative South African market, but Cloete feels that there is a need to diversify this regional export with Asia to boost farmers' returns. The country also has export permits for small stock to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and it is now up to local exporters to improve production and start supplying these markets. After the severe drought of 2013 to 2019, it is now time for farmers to start getting better prices for their animals. At the moment, Namibia has only one small stock export abattoir.