Namibia: FMD Restrictions Partially Lifted

What the report says

Namibia’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has partially lifted movement restrictions put in place after a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in the ||Kharas region, according to a report by The Namibian distributed by AllAfrica. The ministry said the outbreak was detected in the Karasburg Veterinary District and that veterinary teams carried out surveillance, livestock tracing and movement controls to assess the spread.

Chief veterinary officer Dr. Kenneth Shoombe said preliminary traceability checks indicated the disease remained confined to ||Kharas. He added that livestock traced from the infected farm to the Otjozondjupa region tested negative, which allowed authorities to clear that herd and ease some controls. The ministry said this means the risk of transmission north of the veterinary cordon fence, or redline, has not been shown by the available traceability data.

Under the updated measures, restrictions on cloven-hoofed animals and related products north of the redline were lifted immediately. Protocols for moving certain processed commodities, such as cooked meat, pasteurised milk and butter, between the north and south are also resuming under the Animal Health Act. In areas south of the redline, except in ||Kharas, some rules on raw meat, feed and selected agricultural products were also eased.

Restrictions remain in place for movement into areas north of the redline, and livestock movement from approved facilities is still subject to veterinary permits, clinical checks and negative FMD results. The decision matters because foot-and-mouth disease can disrupt domestic livestock trade and cross-border agricultural movements, making containment and verification central to reopening commerce safely.