Swapo MP wants targeted relief for FMD-hit farmers …no new cases recorded

Swapo member of Parliament Clemencia Coetzee has urged the government to implement targeted financial relief for farmers bearing the brunt of the Foot-and-Mouth disease (FMD) outbreak.

While registering her support for the 2026/2027 Appropriation Amendment Bill in Parliament on Tuesday, Coetzee argued that the N$179 million currently allocated for disease containment falls short of mitigating the extensive economic losses suffered by the agricultural sector.

The lawmaker underscored the compounding crises facing farmers and agribusinesses, citing stringent livestock movement restrictions, disrupted auctions, and the suspension of export market access.

To alleviate these pressures, Coetzee proposed a comprehensive relief package encompassing temporary tax relief, concessionary emergency financing, and state interventions for loan repayments.

“The Bank of Namibia has introduced repayment relief of between one and 24 months for qualifying borrowers affected by FMD and El Niño. Agribank should complement this intervention with clear commitments to its affected clients. Our farmers must not lose their land, livestock or livelihoods because of circumstances beyond their control,” said Coetzee.

Additionally, she called for subsidies to cover escalating livestock feed, water, and maintenance expenses, alongside robust safety nets to protect farmworkers facing potential job losses.

This, she noted, should complement the repayment relief measures recently introduced by the Bank of Namibia for borrowers impacted by the dual shocks of FMD and the ongoing El Niño phenomenon.

Beyond agriculture, Coetzee advocated for an aggressive expansion of housing investments, calling for accelerated development in affordable housing, serviced land, and informal settlement upgrades—particularly within smaller towns and rural localities. She further emphasised the need for structural support for resettlement beneficiaries, stressing that access to water, fencing, agricultural inputs, and reliable markets remains critical to their success.

On educational reform, the MP called on the Minister of Education to table the Namibia Training Authority (NTA) Task Force Report on Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) before the National Assembly, framing it as an essential roadmap for skills development and youth employment.

Concluding her address, Coetzee affirmed her endorsement of the Appropriation Amendment Bill but maintained that stringent implementation and heightened accountability are imperative to ensure budget allocations translate into tangible benefits for local communities.

As it stands, Namibia is continuing to intensify its containment efforts following outbreaks of FMD in the //Kharas and Zambezi regions.

According to the latest weekly update provided yesterday by the agriculture ministry spokesperson, Romeo Muyunda, the number of confirmed FMD cases in the //Kharas region remains at 131, with infections restricted to 18 farms.

Veterinary teams have scaled up biosecurity measures in the area, successfully administering vaccines to 8 267 cattle to prevent further transmission.

Concurrently, a robust vaccination drive is underway in the Zambezi region, which is battling a separate FMD outbreak. Government interventions there have successfully reached 37 crush pens, resulting in the vaccination of more than 53 000 cattle as authorities work to safeguard the national livestock population.

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