Namibia has confirmed foot-and-mouth disease in two regions, prompting movement curbs and emergency vaccination. The EU has also restricted some meat imports from the country’s authorised export zone.
01Summary
- 01Namibia’s Directorate of Veterinary Services confirmed an FMD outbreak on a commercial farm in Karasburg in the southern //Kharas Region on 23 September 2026.
- 02By 5 October, President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said 127 positive cases had been recorded across 15 farms, with 29,313 animals inspected on 68 farms.
- 03On 7 October, laboratory tests confirmed FMD in cattle at Kalala Island in the Kabbe constituency of the Zambezi Region after 12 samples tested positive.
- 04On 10 October, the agriculture ministry suspended movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their raw products in the Zambezi Region and halted livestock auctions and informal markets.
- 05The European Union suspended entry of specified fresh and processed meat products, including biltong and jerky, from Namibia’s authorised export zone, with some certified consignments allowed in a 90-day transitional period.
02Why it matters
The outbreak is disrupting meat supplies, pushing up prices and hurting vendors and farmers who depend on livestock trade. It also risks further losses for Namibia’s export sector and tighter pressure on a key part of the economy.
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