FMD threatens 52 000 jobs
Namibia's livestock industry faces potential losses of N$151 million a week as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) threatens export markets, agricultural jobs and rural livelihoods.
The scale of the economic threat was highlighted at the 2026 Bank Windhoek Agricultural Series in Windhoek on Friday, where government officials, industry representatives and international experts discussed the country's response to the outbreak.
Held under the theme Protecting Livestock, Preserving Livelihoods: A United Response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease, the event brought together key players from Namibia and Botswana, alongside international animal health specialists.
The outbreak, confirmed in the Karasburg district on 23 September, is the first in Namibia's export zone in more than 60 years.
Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) president Thinus Pretorius said the organisation estimated value-chain losses at N$13 million a day, or N$2.4 billion over six months.
About 52 000 agricultural jobs south of the Cordon Fence, supporting an estimated 200 000 dependants, were also at risk.
"The longer the markets stay closed, the more this becomes a question of jobs and households, not just farms," Pretorius said.
The disruption to exports is particularly significant because 94% of Namibia's beef exports in 2025 went to European markets requiring FMD-free status. Access to the European Union and Norway has since been suspended.
Pretorius warned that regaining FMD-free status would not automatically restore market access, as individual importing countries would still have to decide when to resume purchases.
"FMD-free status is the starting point, not the finish line," he said.
Alternative markets currently offer substantially lower prices, ranging from about N$113 to N$138 per kilogram, compared with approximately N$219 for fresh boneless beef in Europe.
The NAU has called for a three-pronged response: maintaining domestic trade under strict veterinary supervision, securing alternative export markets and restoring FMD-free status without vaccination.
"Government reopens markets. Industry wins them back," Pretorius said.
Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Kenneth Shoombe told delegates that, as at 27 October, 131 positive samples had been recorded across 18 infected farms in the //Kharas Region.
Vaccination efforts had reached 8 102 of the targeted 13 000 cattle in //Kharas, while 53 913 of 56 360 cattle had been vaccinated in the Zambezi Region, where a separate outbreak was confirmed on 6 October.
Controlled direct slaughter has also resumed, with 1 344 cattle processed at registered abattoirs.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has meanwhile opened discussions with potential alternative markets, including Tunisia, Morocco and Nigeria.
Jako van Wyk, vice-chairperson of the ministerial FMD task force, outlined the Directorate of Veterinary Services' strategy to restore Namibia's disease-free status.
The plan includes construction of a new disease-control fence, targeted for November 2026.
Van Wyk reassured producers that Namibia's FMD-free status had been suspended rather than lost. He also noted that Namibia was among only three countries with an official FMD control programme endorsed by the World Organisation for Animal Health in 2026.
"Your records are your passport back to the market," he told farmers.
Botswana's Charles Hill District representative, Kealeboga Patrick Gaebuse, whose district hosts the Mamuno border post along the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, warned that animal diseases did not respect national borders.
"The disease carries no passport," he said, urging financial institutions to provide relief to affected farmers before they default on their obligations.
Patrik Buholzer, co-chief executive of Switzerland-based SAFOSO, said preparedness was an investment in resilience.
"Animal health status is built on evidence. Trade is built on evidence and trust," he said.
The event also provided an opportunity for Bank Windhoek to reaffirm its support for the agricultural sector. The bank pledged N$2 million to the FMD Support Fund in February 2026.
Managing director James Chapman said the outbreak required a coordinated national response and urged affected clients to engage with the bank early to discuss possible support measures.
"Agriculture is the backbone of rural Namibia, and foot-and-mouth disease is testing how well we stand together as a nation," Chapman said.
"No single institution, sector or country can solve this alone."
Chapman also welcomed Bid-42, recently issued by the Bank of Namibia, as a timely intervention to support the agricultural sector during the current period of financial strain.
Since 2018, the Bank Windhoek Agricultural Series has provided a platform for discussion on challenges facing the agricultural industry.
This year's event also included sign-language interpretation for the first time in the series' history, allowing members of the Deaf community to participate.
The speakers urged farmers to report suspected infections immediately, comply with livestock movement restrictions, maintain accurate animal records and support official vaccination efforts.
They said a coordinated response between government, industry and regional partners would be essential to restoring Namibia's disease-free status and rebuilding access to international markets.
