EU Suspends Namibian Meat Imports After Disease Outbreak

The European Union suspended imports of fresh cattle, sheep, and goat meat from Namibia on October 5, 2026, following an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD). The disease was first confirmed on September 23 on a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District and has since spread to 11 farms. This marks the first such outbreak in the region in 60 years.

The suspension includes biltong, jerky, and certain farmed and wild hoofed animals, though processed meats that have undergone EU-prescribed high-level treatment remain eligible for import. The EU cleared existing shipments valued at approximately N$400 million that were certified before the initial outbreak. As Namibia's largest beef market, the EU receives roughly 10 million kilograms of meat annually, accounting for over 80 percent of exports.

In response, the Government of Namibia implemented livestock movement controls, veterinary roadblocks, and intensified surveillance. The World Organisation for Animal Health suspended Namibia's FMD-free status for the affected zone effective September 26. EU Ambassador Ana Beatriz Martins noted the suspension could affect a quarter of the 40,000 jobs tied to European exports, though she commended the professional response of Namibian veterinary services.

The Namibia Agricultural Union has called for an urgent, science-based pathway to restore market access, warning that continued closures are causing significant financial losses for producers, farmworkers, and rural communities.