Namibia battles cattle disease outbreak as EU suspends several meat imports

Namibia battles cattle disease outbreak as EU suspends several meat imports Foot-and-mouth disease threatens livestock farmers’ livelihoods and disrupts meat supplies as authorities impose curbs. Windhoek, Namibia – “We had to close the market for several days. It was just before the weekend and month’s end. That’s when we need the money the most,” says Francisco, a vendor at Single Quarter, Windhoek’s largest open meat market. He pours vinegar and cooking oil into a tomato and onion salsa, a traditional accompaniment to kapana, a popular grilled-meat street food. Around him, many stalls and grilling stations sit empty. Instead of the crowds that typically fill the market during business hours, only a handful of customers move between the stalls. Recent closures and concerns about meat supplies have disrupted business. “Our business is slow. We are struggling to buy meat, but without it, we cannot survive,” says another kapana vendor, who asked to remain anonymous. “This is our livelihood. The meat is much more expensive now, so we are making less money altogether. If this continues for three months, it is going to be very bad for us.” In Katutura, Windhoek’s largest township, uncertainty over beef supplies is adding to residents’ financial concerns. “If we don’t eat meat, what are we going to eat? We are Namibians,” one resident says, describing meat as a staple of the local diet. Another worries about rising prices and the wider consequences for Namibia, where livestock exports are an important part of the economy. At a supermarket in the Okuryangava suburb, the butchery has already run out of some premium beef products. Store manager Enrico De Azevedo, 23, says consumer behaviour has also contributed to the pressure. “We saw people panic-buying like they did during the COVID-19 pandemic with toilet paper. Now, they can go and stack their meat next to their toilet paper,” he says. De Azevedo also recognises the wider economic risks. “For those in the export business, this will have grave implications.” Outbreak threatens Namibia’s export market Namibia’s Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) confirmed an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) on a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District, in the southern //Kharas Region, on September 23, 2026. In an address on October 5, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said surveillance teams had recorded 127 positive cases across 15 farms. Teams had inspected 29,313 animals across 68 farms. The government had also established 20 surveillance teams and 10 roadblocks in the region as part of its response. In an update covering the situation as of October 6, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform reported that 129 animal samples had tested positive and 17 farms had been confirmed infected. Veterinary teams had inspected 72 of 81 targeted farms. The outbreak was subsequently confirmed in a second region. On October 7, laboratory tests confirmed FMD in cattle at Kalala Island, in the Kabbe constituency of the Zambezi Region, in northern Namibia. Veterinary officials from the Katima Mulilo State Veterinary Office investigated the suspected outbreak on October 5 after observing clinical signs in 20 cattle. Twelve samples were collected and submitted to the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek on October 6. All 12 tested positive for the virus the following day. In a public notification issued on October 10, the ministry outlined restrictions across the Zambezi Region following confirmation of the outbreak. These include suspending the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their raw products, cancelling previously issued movement permits, and halting livestock auctions, informal markets and other animal-gathering events. Slaughter at local abattoirs, informal markets and social events has also been suspended. Slaughter at export abattoirs may continue for eligible cattle under the commodity-based trade system, provided the animals meet quarantine requirements and pass traceability checks. Emergency vaccination has begun in the affected area, while roadblocks and intensive surveillance are intended to prevent further spread. FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. It can disrupt livestock production and trade, particularly when it affects areas recognised as free of the disease. Following confirmation of the //Kharas outbreak, Namibian authorities notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and introduced restrictions on the movement and export of cloven-hoofed animals and their products. The European Union subsequently amended its import rules for Namibia’s previously authorised export zone, known as NA-1, following the outbreak. The Zambezi detection has added to the challenge facing veterinary authorities, who are working to contain the disease and prevent further infections. The available information confirms outbreaks in both regions but does not establish that the disease spread directly from //Kharas to Zambezi. “The outbreak has been a heavy blow to our country,” Marianne Pretorius, head of communications at the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), told Al Jazeera by email. “The restrictions are painful, but they are necessary, and the NAU supports them.” On October 5, the European Union announced a temporary suspension of entry into the bloc of specified fresh meat products from cattle, sheep and goats, as well as certain products from other farmed and wild hoofed animals, from Namibia’s previously authorised export zone. The restrictions also cover specified processed meat products, including biltong and jerky. The measure is not a blanket suspension of all Namibian meat imports. According to the EU, certain processed products that undergo the prescribed risk-mitigating treatment remain eligible for entry. Qualifying fresh-meat consignments certified by Namibian authorities before September 23 may also enter during a 90-day transitional period, subject to the applicable EU rules and border-control requirements. The restrictions apply to the specific products covered by the EU measure. It remains unclear whether the Zambezi outbreak will affect exports to other markets or under other trade arrangements. For the country’s livestock industry, the restrictions add to the uncertainty created by domestic movement controls and the loss of access to some export markets. “For farmers in the //Kharas region, the impact is immediate and severe, but this is not only a //Kharas problem,” Pretorius said. “When export markets close, every livestock producer in the country feels it.” She warned that the consequences could continue even after domestic trading resumes. “Even when domestic trade resumes, prices may remain under pressure until export markets reopen,” she wrote. “That is why we are calling for market recovery to be treated with the same determination as disease control.” Containment measures expand as economic costs mount Namibia has stepped up efforts to contain the disease, including plans to strengthen veterinary fencing in high-risk areas. Construction of a veterinary cordon fence along the Orange River in the //Kharas Region began in October. The barrier is intended to strengthen controls along the border with South Africa. The government has also pursued additional fencing and containment measures in high-risk areas. The containment measures are intended to limit animal movement and reduce the risk of further infections. Their effectiveness will depend on surveillance, compliance with movement restrictions and the ability of veterinary authorities to identify and contain new cases. The outbreak is also affecting the country’s meat-processing sector. The Namibian reported on October 12 that Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) had placed about 400 production workers on three weeks of special leave with full pay. The situation was due to be reviewed on October 23, with workers’ return depending on guidance from veterinary authorities. The Namibian also reported that Meatco had paid farmers N$31 million (about US$1.8 million) for cattle delivered to its Windhoek abattoir between August 29 and September 11. The payments cover cattle already delivered, while uncertainty remains over future sales and export access. Farmers and meat vendors count the cost For livestock producers, the outbreak threatens immediate income and the longer-term viability of their businesses. Restrictions on moving and selling animals can interrupt cash flow even for farmers whose herds have not been infected. Gert Engelbrecht, a 40-year-old farmer from Aranos, said the restrictions had created financial and emotional strain for producers. “Our livestock is not simply a business to us; it is our livelihood and something we have invested our lives in,” he told Al Jazeera. “Being able to move and sell livestock is fundamental to keeping the farming operation going. It affects farmers across Namibia when movement and markets are restricted. Ultimately, we need to regain our disease-free status.” The DVS has intensified surveillance and is tracing livestock movements that took place before the outbreaks were detected. For farmers, restoring market access is essential to keeping their operations running. Meat vendors, meanwhile, depend on reliable supplies to sustain their businesses. “Farmers are fighters,” Engelbrecht said. “We understand why restrictions are necessary, but we are not sitting back and waiting for somebody else to solve this. We are working with the veterinary authorities to see this disease controlled, regain our status, and restore access to our markets.”