Namibia Battles Foot-and-Mouth Outbreak as EU Suspends Meat Imports

Windhoek, Namibia – At Windhoek's largest open-air meat market, many stalls and grill areas sit idle. Instead of the usual crowds, only a handful of buyers weave between the counters. Francisco, a trader in Single Quarter, said he had to close his shop for several days, right at the end of the month and the weekend – when he needs money most.

"Business is dead. We struggle to buy meat, but without meat we cannot survive," said a street vendor selling kapana – a popular grilled street meat – who asked not to be named. "Meat prices are much higher now, so we make less profit. If this goes on for three months, things will be very bad."

In Katutura, Windhoek's largest residential area, worries about beef supplies are adding to residents' financial strain. "If we don't eat meat, what do we eat? We are Namibians," one resident said. Others fear rising prices and broader consequences for an economy where livestock exports play an important role.

At a supermarket in the Okuryangava suburb, the meat counter has run out of some premium beef products. Store manager Enrico De Azevedo, 23, believes consumer psychology is also adding pressure. "We see people panic-buying like during COVID-19 with toilet paper. Now they can stack meat next to the toilet paper," he said, adding that the situation will have serious consequences for exporters.

Outbreak threatens export markets

Namibia's Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) confirmed a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak at a commercial farm in the Karasburg veterinary district of the southern //Kharas region on September 23, 2026. In a speech on October 5, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said surveillance teams recorded 127 positive cases at 15 farms, after testing 29,313 animals at 68 farms. The government also set up 20 surveillance teams and 10 control checkpoints in the area.

In an update through October 6, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform reported 129 positive animal samples and 17 confirmed infected farms; veterinary teams had inspected 72 of 81 targeted farms.

On October 7, laboratory tests confirmed FMD in cattle on Kalala Island in the Kabbe constituency of the northern Zambezi region. Veterinary officials had investigated a suspected case from October 5 after clinical symptoms were found in 20 cattle. Twelve samples were sent to the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek on October 6 and all tested positive the next day.

In a public notice on October 10, the ministry imposed restrictions across the Zambezi region, including suspension of movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their fresh products, cancellation of issued movement permits, and a halt to cattle auctions, informal markets and animal gathering events. Slaughter at local abattoirs, informal markets and social events was also suspended. However, slaughter at export abattoirs may continue with eligible cattle under the commodity-based trade system, if quarantine and traceability requirements are met. Emergency vaccination has begun in affected areas, alongside checkpoints and tightened surveillance.

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease in cloven-hoofed animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and pigs that can disrupt livestock production and trade. After confirming the //Kharas outbreak, Namibia notified the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and imposed restrictions on the movement and export of cloven-hoofed animals and their products.

The European Union subsequently amended import rules for Namibia's previously recognized export zone (NA-1). On October 5, the EU announced a temporary suspension of imports of certain fresh meat products from cattle, sheep, goats and certain other farmed and wild cloven-hoofed animals from the NA-1 zone, including processed meat products such as biltong and jerky. It is not a blanket ban: some processed products treated to reduce risk under the rules remain eligible for import; consignments of fresh meat certified by Namibian authorities before September 23 may enter the EU during a 90-day transition period if they meet requirements and border controls.

"This outbreak is a heavy blow for our country," Marianne Pretorius, head of communications at the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), told Al Jazeera by email. "The restrictions are painful but necessary, and the NAU supports them." She stressed the immediate and severe impact on farmers in //Kharas, but said the problem is not confined to that region: "When export markets close, every livestock producer in the country feels it."

She warned the consequences could linger even after domestic trade resumes: "Prices may remain under pressure until export markets reopen. That is why we are calling for market recovery to be pursued with the same determination as disease control."

Containment expands as economic costs mount

Namibia is stepping up efforts to contain the outbreak, including a plan to reinforce veterinary fencing in high-risk areas. In October, it began work on a quarantine fence along the Orange River in the //Kharas region to tighten border controls with South Africa, while deploying additional fencing and containment measures in key areas. Effectiveness depends on surveillance, compliance with movement restrictions, and the veterinary authority's ability to detect and handle new cases.

The meat processing sector has also been hit. The Namibian reported on October 12 that the Namibia Meat Corporation (Meatco) had placed about 400 production workers on three weeks of special paid leave; the situation will be reviewed on October 23 depending on veterinary guidance. The same day, the newspaper said Meatco had paid farmers 31 million Namibian dollars (about 1.8 million USD) for cattle delivered to the Windhoek abattoir between August 29 and September 11. The payment covers only cattle already delivered, while future demand and export access remain uncertain.

Farmers and traders bear the losses

For livestock producers, the outbreak threatens both immediate income and long-term viability. Movement restrictions and the inability to sell animals can disrupt cash flow even when herds are not infected. Gert Engelbrecht, a 40-year-old farmer in Aranos, told Al Jazeera the restrictions are causing financial and mental strain for producers. "Livestock is not just a business; it is a livelihood and something we have invested in our whole lives," he said. "Being able to move and sell livestock is the foundation of keeping a farm going. Every Namibian farmer is affected when movement and markets are restricted. Ultimately, we need to regain disease-free status."

Namibia's Directorate of Veterinary Services had stepped up surveillance and livestock movement tracing before the outbreak was detected. For farmers, restoring market access is essential to staying in business; for meat traders, survival depends on stable supplies. "Farmers are fighters," Engelbrecht said. "We understand why restrictions are needed, but we are not sitting around waiting for others to solve this. We are working with the veterinary authority to control the outbreak, regain our status and restore market access."