Namibia's Livestock Exports Hit by Foot-and-Mouth Disease Outbreak, EU Imposes Import Restrictions

Namibia is grappling with a significant outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), leading to stringent livestock movement restrictions and jeopardizing access to key export markets, including the European Union. The crisis has had a palpable impact on local businesses, particularly at Windhoek’s bustling Single Quarter meat market.

“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,” shared Francisco, a vendor at the market, as he prepared traditional accompaniments for kapana, a popular grilled-meat street food. The market, usually vibrant with activity, now sees many stalls and grilling stations empty, with only a sparse crowd of customers navigating between them. This disruption has directly affected vendors' livelihoods.

“Our business is slow. We are struggling to buy meat, but without it, we cannot survive,” stated another kapana vendor who preferred 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.” The uncertainty surrounding beef supplies is also heightening financial anxieties among residents in Katutura, Windhoek’s largest township.

“If we don’t eat meat, what are we going to eat? We are Namibians,” remarked one resident, emphasizing meat's staple status in the Namibian diet. Concerns about escalating prices and the broader economic ramifications for Namibia, where livestock exports form a crucial part of the economy, are widespread.

At a supermarket in the Okuryangava suburb, premium beef products have already disappeared from shelves. Store manager Enrico De Azevedo, 23, noted that consumer behavior, including panic-buying reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic, has exacerbated the situation. “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 observed, while also acknowledging the severe economic implications for the export sector.

Outbreak Threatens Namibia’s Export Market

The Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) confirmed the FMD outbreak on a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District, //Kharas Region, on September 23, 2026. By October 5, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah reported 127 positive cases across 15 farms, with surveillance teams inspecting 29,313 animals on 68 farms. The government deployed 20 surveillance teams and established 10 roadblocks in the region. An update on October 6 indicated 129 positive samples and 17 confirmed infected farms, with veterinary teams inspecting 72 of 81 targeted farms.

The disease subsequently spread to a second region. On October 7, laboratory tests confirmed FMD in cattle at Kalala Island, Zambezi Region, in northern Namibia. Veterinary officials investigated the suspected outbreak on October 5 after observing clinical signs in 20 cattle. Samples collected tested positive for the virus the following day. Following this confirmation, the ministry imposed restrictions across the Zambezi Region, including suspending the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their raw products, canceling movement permits, and halting livestock auctions and informal markets. Slaughter at local abattoirs and social events was also suspended, though slaughter at export abattoirs could continue under specific conditions.

Emergency vaccination has commenced in affected areas, complemented by intensive surveillance and roadblocks to curb further spread. FMD, a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, poses a significant threat to livestock production and trade, particularly in disease-free zones.

Following the //Kharas outbreak, Namibian authorities alerted the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and implemented export restrictions. The European Union responded by amending its import rules for Namibia’s authorized export zone, NA-1. The Zambezi detection further complicated containment efforts.

“The outbreak has been a heavy blow to our country,” stated Marianne Pretorius, head of communications at the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), emphasizing that while restrictions are painful, they are necessary and supported by the NAU. On October 5, the EU announced a temporary suspension of specified fresh meat products from cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as other hoofed animals, from Namibia’s NA-1 export zone. Certain processed products meeting risk-mitigating treatment requirements remain eligible for import, as do fresh-meat consignments certified before September 23, subject to transitional rules.

The full impact on exports to other markets remains unclear. The restrictions compound the challenges posed 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 noted. “When export markets close, every livestock producer in the country feels it.” She warned that price pressures could persist even after domestic trade resumes, urging that “market recovery to be treated with the same determination as disease control.”

Containment Measures Expand as Economic Costs Mount

Namibia is intensifying containment efforts, including plans to bolster veterinary fencing in high-risk areas, such as along the Orange River bordering South Africa. These measures aim to restrict animal movement and minimize infection risks, with their success contingent on surveillance, compliance, and rapid identification of new cases.

The outbreak is also impacting Namibia’s meat-processing sector. The Namibian reported that the Meat Corporation of Namibia (Meatco) placed approximately 400 production workers on three weeks of paid special leave, with their return contingent on veterinary authority guidance. Meatco had paid farmers N$31 million (approximately US$1.8 million) for cattle delivered between August 29 and September 11, but future sales and export access remain uncertain.

For livestock producers, the outbreak jeopardizes immediate income and long-term business viability. Restrictions on animal movement and sales disrupt cash flow, even for uninfected herds. Gert Engelbrecht, a farmer from Aranos, described the financial and emotional toll, stating, “Our livestock is not simply a business to us; it is our livelihood and something we have invested our lives in.” He stressed the critical need to regain Namibia’s disease-free status for market access. The DVS is intensifying surveillance and tracing livestock movements preceding the outbreak detection. Farmers are actively collaborating with veterinary authorities to control the disease, restore market access, and ensure the sustainability of their operations.