Patience Makwele
Namibia’s four recognised farmers’ unions have united to raise N$50 million to help protect the country’s livestock industry from the growing threat of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), warning that a single outbreak could cripple export markets, threaten rural livelihoods and deal a major blow to the national economy.
The fundraising campaign forms part of the newly established FMD Support Fund, which has already secured more than N$12 million in pledges from farmers’ unions, agribusinesses, financial institutions and industry partners.
The initiative was launched in Windhoek on Thursday alongside a nationwide awareness campaign under the theme “One Nation. One Herd. One Responsibility.”
Speaking on behalf of the four organisations, Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union (NECFU) president Ndahafa Nghifindaka said the livestock sector could only be protected through collective action.
“Foot-and-Mouth Disease does not distinguish between communal and commercial farmers. It does not distinguish between regions, ethnicities, production systems or organisations.
Protecting the health status of our national herd is therefore a shared national responsibility,” she said.
The campaign brings together the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), Namibia National Farmers Union (NNFU), Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers Union (NECFU) and the Previously Disadvantaged Namibian Farmers Union (PDNFU), marking one of the first times the country’s four recognised farmers’ unions have jointly launched a national initiative.
Nghifindaka said Namibia’s livestock industry remains one of the country’s most valuable economic sectors, generating billions of dollars in economic activity while supporting thousands of farmers, processors, transporters, exporters, retailers and rural communities.
She warned that disease outbreaks elsewhere in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region had demonstrated that preparedness could not be taken for granted.
“A single outbreak in Namibia’s FMD-free zone would have severe consequences for producers, markets and the broader economy,” she said.
Namibia currently maintains internationally recognised Foot-and-Mouth Disease-free status without vaccination south of the Veterinary Cordon Fence, a designation regarded as critical for maintaining access to premium international beef export markets.
NAU president Thinus Pretorius said the four unions deliberately chose collaboration instead of responding individually to the threat.
“Our livestock sector is interconnected. An outbreak in one area can affect producers across the country. A weakness in one part of the value chain becomes a risk to everyone,” he said.
Pretorius described the campaign as more than a public awareness exercise, saying it was intended to mobilise every stakeholder involved in livestock production to strengthen disease prevention and biosecurity.
NNFU president Adolf Muremi said the newly created FMD Support Fund would complement, rather than replace, the government’s disease control responsibilities.
“The fund provides a transparent and accountable mechanism through which the private sector can support national Foot-and-Mouth Disease preparedness and response efforts,” he said.
Muremi said the fund had been established as an independently audited Section 21 company with its own board and governance structures to finance projects aligned with Namibia’s national FMD strategy under the guidance of the Directorate of Veterinary Services.
He said organisers aim to raise N$50 million to finance preparedness, awareness, prevention and emergency response initiatives.
“The response from the private sector has already been extremely encouraging. Stakeholders recognise the seriousness of the threat and are willing to invest in prevention rather than bear the far greater cost of a future outbreak,” he said.
Closing the event, PDNFU president Jane Kuhanga urged livestock producers to strengthen on-farm biosecurity, comply with animal identification and movement regulations, and immediately report suspected disease outbreaks.
“The first line of defence against Foot-and-Mouth Disease is not only found at a border post. It is found on every farm, in every kraal and among producers who understand their responsibility,” she said.
She also appealed to businesses, financial institutions and development partners to contribute to the FMD Support Fund, describing disease prevention as an investment in food security, economic stability and Namibia’s future.
The four unions said the campaign demonstrates the livestock industry’s commitment to work alongside government and veterinary authorities to safeguard one of Namibia’s most important economic assets and preserve the country’s reputation as a trusted livestock exporter.
