The Namibian beef industry is bracing for a significant impact following the confirmation of a foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the country's internationally recognised FMD-free zone. The outbreak was detected on a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District in the //Kharas Region during routine disease surveillance by veterinary officials. This development has raised concerns about the potential effects on farmers, producers, abattoirs, processors, workers, and rural communities that depend on the livestock value chain.
According to Savanna Beef Processors, a NSX-listed beef processor, the outbreak will have far-reaching consequences for the industry. The company, which has developed from an initiative at the Beef Value Chain Forum into an EU-accredited export abattoir, supplies Namibian beef to international markets. Savanna Beef Processors has assured that it will seek to weather the impact of the outbreak, which comes as the local beef industry remains dependent on access to domestic and international markets.
The government has warned that the outbreak has serious implications for the national economy and livelihoods due to the suspension of livestock and livestock-product marketing locally and internationally. The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform confirmed the outbreak on Wednesday, stating that FMD was detected in samples collected from 11 cattle showing clinical signs consistent with FMD on 22 September 2026. Laboratory analysis at the Central Veterinary Laboratory in Windhoek found that 10 of the 11 samples tested positive on 23 September.
In response to the outbreak, the ministry has introduced immediate control measures under the Animal Health Act, No. 1 of 2011. These measures include the suspension of the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products countrywide, as well as the suspension of the import and export of all cloven-hoofed animals until further notice. The Directorate of Veterinary Services is expected to issue a Veterinary Public Notification detailing the control measures.
Acting Agriculture Minister Charles Mubita has called for cooperation among government institutions, the livestock industry, stakeholders, the public, and other relevant institutions to contain the disease. He emphasised that restoring and normalising livestock marketing would remain a priority. The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) has urged the government to declare a state of emergency following the confirmation of the FMD outbreak in Namibia's FMD-free zone.
The impact of the outbreak on the beef industry is significant, with Namibia's beef industry generating more than N$2.1 billion in foreign exchange in 2025. Before the FMD outbreak, Namibia had remained the only African country with concurrent beef export access to the United States, China, Norway, and the European Union. The outbreak is expected to affect agricultural lenders, with Simonis Storm Securities predicting restructuring requests, weaker collateral, and a rise in loans flagged as higher risk by year-end.
The FMD outbreak is also expected to have a significant impact on emerging and resettled farmers, who are most exposed due to their thin buffers. Agribank, a major agricultural lender, enters the shock with a heavy arrears book, reported at N$1.1 billion to N$1.2 billion in 2024. The bank and other lenders may face increased risks as livestock and farmland values soften due to the outbreak.
Key points
- The FMD outbreak in Namibia's FMD-free zone is expected to have significant economic and social impacts on the country's beef industry and livestock value chain.
- The Namibian government has introduced control measures to contain the disease, including the suspension of livestock movement and trade.
- The outbreak may affect agricultural lenders, with potential restructuring requests and increased risks due to softer livestock and farmland values.
