Bank Windhoek leads national dialogue as Namibia fights FMD

With an estimated N$151 million in livestock sales at risk every week, Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) has become one of the most serious economic threats Namibia has faced in decades.

Bank Windhoek responded by bringing the country’s key industry players together at the 2026 Bank Windhoek Agricultural Series, held at the Mercure Hotel in Windhoek last Friday, under the theme ‘Protecting Livestock, Preserving Livelihoods: A United Response to Foot-and-Mouth Disease’. Speakers included chief veterinary officer Dr Kenneth Shoombe, Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) president Thinus Pretorius, vice chairperson of the Ministerial FMD Task Force Jako van Wyk and Kealeboga Patrick Gaebuse of Botswana’s Charles Hill District. Joining virtually from Switzerland was Patrik Buholzer, co-CEO of SAFOSO.

FMD Support Fund chair Medmillan Handura joined the panel discussion. Confirmed in the Karasburg district on 23 September, the outbreak is the first in Namibia’s export zone in more than 60 years.

Pretorius said NAU estimates put value-chain losses at N$13 million a day, or N$2.4 billion over six months, with some 52 000 agricultural jobs south of the Cordon Fence, supporting about 200 000 dependants, on the line.

“The longer the markets stay closed, the more this becomes a question of jobs and households, not just farms,” he said.

The export blow is equally severe: 94% of Namibia’s 2025 beef exports went to European markets that require FMD freedom.

Access to the EU and Norway has since been suspended.

Pretorius cautioned that FMD-free status is “the starting point, not the finish line”, as each importing country decides when to buy again. Alternative markets pay roughly N$113-138 per kilogramme, against about N$219 for fresh boneless beef in Europe. The NAU’s way forward runs on three tracks at once: keep trade moving at home under strict veterinary supervision, open alternative markets now and regain FMD freedom without vaccination.

“Government reopens markets. Industry wins them back,” he said.

Shoombe reported that, as of 27 October 2026, 131 positive samples had been recorded on 18 infected farms in //Kharas.

By then, 8 102 of 13 000 cattle had been vaccinated in //Kharas, and 53 913 of 56 360 in the Zambezi region, where a separate outbreak was confirmed on 6 October.

Controlled direct slaughter has resumed, with 1 344 cattle slaughtered at registered abattoirs.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform has opened talks with new markets, including Tunisia, Morocco and Nigeria. Van Wyk outlined the Directorate of Veterinary Services’ plan to regain free status, including a new disease control fence construction targeted for November 2026. He reassured producers that the zone’s status is “suspended, not lost”, noting that Namibia was one of only three countries with the World Organisation for Animal Health endorsed official FMD control programme in 2026.

“Your records are your passport back to the market,” he told farmers.

Gaebuse, whose district hosts the Mamuno border post on the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, reminded delegates that “the disease carries no passport”, urging financial institutions to provide relief before default. Buholzer stressed that preparedness is an investment in resilience, adding that “Animal health status is built on evidence. Trade is built on evidence and trust”. Since 2018, the Bank Windhoek Agri Series has served as a platform for meaningful dialogue on the agricultural sector.

This year’s edition builds on Bank Windhoek’s N$2 million pledge to the FMD Support Fund in February 2026. For the first time in the series’ history, the proceedings were interpreted into sign language, enabling members of the deaf community to participate fully.

“Agriculture is the backbone of rural Namibia, and Foot-and-Mouth Disease is testing how well we stand together as a nation,” said Bank Windhoek’s managing director James Chapman.

“No single institution, sector or country can solve this alone. As a proudly Namibian bank, we will continue to back the national response and stand with our farming community. We encourage affected clients to speak to us early, so that together we can find workable solutions,” said Chapman.

“The newly released Bid-42 by the Bank of Namibia is welcomed as a timely intervention to support the agriculture sector during this significant period of strain,” he added. The speakers’ message to producers was clear: report suspicious signs immediately, comply with movement restrictions, keep livestock records up to date and support official vaccination.

They agreed that, with a shared plan and a united industry, Namibia has every reason to believe it can regain its status and win back its markets. *– [email protected] *

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