Namibia has suspended the nationwide movement, trade, and slaughter of all cloven-hoofed animals after foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) was confirmed at a commercial farm in the ÇKharas Region, inside the country’s World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)-recognised FMD-free zone.
The confirmation marks the first time Namibia has detected FMD within its officially recognised disease-free zone, posing a severe threat to the country’s multi-billion-dollar beef export industry.
OUTBREAK CONFIRMED: 10 OF 11 SAMPLES POSITIVE
Acting Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Charles Mubita informed the National Assembly on Wednesday that the outbreak was detected during routine disease surveillance in the Karasburg State Veterinary Area.
On 22 September, veterinary officials identified 63 cattle showing clinical signs of FMD at a commercial farm. Samples were collected from 11 cattle and submitted for testing. On 23 September, the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek confirmed that 10 of the 11 samples tested positive for the FMD virus.
“This status confirms the presence of an active FMD outbreak within Namibia’s WOAH-recognised FMD-free zone,” Mubita said.
NATIONWIDE CONTROL MEASURES ACTIVATED
In line with the Animal Health Act of 2011, Namibia has activated its national FMD contingency plan and implemented the following measures:
- Nationwide suspension of the marketing and trade of cloven-hoofed animals
- Suspension of imports, exports, and in-transit movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their raw products
- Suspension of slaughter at export and local abattoirs, informal markets, and social events
- Immediate intensive surveillance to determine the full extent of the outbreak
- Roadblocks established at strategic points to enforce movement controls
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform said in a veterinary announcement on Wednesday evening that these measures will remain in place until further notice.
ECONOMIC IMPACT: N$5.5 BILLION BEEF EXPORTS AT RISK
The economic fallout from the outbreak could be severe. According to an assessment by Simonis Storm Research, the outbreak could result in losses of approximately N$1.8 billion in 2026 and 2027, with economic growth for 2026 now projected to slow to about 2% from an earlier estimate of 2.5%.
Namibia’s beef exports are valued at approximately N$5.5 billion annually, with about N$3.3 billion destined for the European Union, United Kingdom, and Norway markets. The EU alone imported 13.3 million kilograms of Namibia’s 22.7 million kilograms of beef exports in 2024.
Economist Omu Kakujaha-Matundu noted that losing FMD-free status effectively halts access to external markets. “What we lose is access to the EU and Norwegian markets, which are very lucrative,” he said.
In 2025, Namibia exported over 13.3 million kilograms of beef, generating more than N$2.1 billion in revenue.
JOBS AND LIVELIHOODS UNDER THREAT
Simonis Storm estimates that approximately 12,000 job years could be lost in 2026 and 2027. A 2022 study by Cirrus Capital estimated that if the southern veterinary fence area were to lose its animal health and export status, 33,271 jobs could be lost over five years, of which about 20,150 would be unskilled positions.
More than 100,000 rural households hold cattle as a store of wealth, and the movement ban also prevents farmers from selling livestock to pay school fees, settle debts, and buy feed.
INDUSTRY CALLS FOR STATE OF EMERGENCY
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) has called on the government to declare a state of emergency to ensure “the full resources and powers of the State can be utilised to bring this FMD outbreak under control as soon as possible.”
NAU president Thinus Pretorius said: “This disease does not respect fences, borders or good intentions. Only discipline will stop it, and that discipline must come from all of us. One unauthorised movement, one unreported case or one careless visitor can destroy the efforts of others.”
AGRICULTURAL SHOWS CANCEL LIVESTOCK CATEGORIES
The impact has already reached Namibia’s agricultural show season. The livestock category of the Windhoek Agricultural and Livestock Show, scheduled for 29 September to 3 October, has been cancelled. Livestock competitions at the Grootfontein Show and livestock activities at the Gobabis Show have also been cancelled.
“This means there is a complete ban on the movement of all cloven-hoofed animals nationwide. The ban also affects the hunting industry,” said show committee chairman Marco Seefeldt.
More than 1,000 head of livestock were expected to participate in the Windhoek show.