Four of Namibia’s farmers’ organisations intend to raise at least N$50 million to help the government prevent the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD).
N$12 million has already been pledged by unions, agribusinesses and financial institutions.
This was said at the launch of a joint farmers’ unions leadership campaign and the FMD Support Fund in Windhoek on Thursday in response to the FMD threat to livestock in the Southern African Development Community region.
The launch was witnessed by Dr Natangwe Amuthenu, the deputy chief veterinary officer in the department of veterinary services and chairperson of the National FMD Task Force.
The Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU), Namibia National Farmers’ Union (NNFU), the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers’ Union (Necfu), and the Previously Disadvantaged Namibian Farmers’ Union (PDNFU) came together under the theme ‘One Nation. One Herd. One Responsibility’.
They explained why they had decided to act together rather than independently in supporting the government on FMD prevention and preparedness.
Speaking at the event, Necfu president Ndahafa Nghifindaka said the initiative reflected a shared understanding that FMD does not distinguish between communal and commercial farmers, regions, ethnicities, production systems or organisations.
“Protecting the health of the national herd is, therefore, a shared national responsibility rather than the task of any single organisation,” she said.
Namibia continues maintaining its World Organisation for Animal Health-recognised FMD-free status without vaccination south of the veterinary cordon fence (redline).
In response to the increased regional threat, the directorate of veterinary services has strengthened preparedness and response measures to safeguard the country’s livestock sector.
NAU president Thinus Pretorius at the event said the leadership campaign and the FMD Support Fund were the complementary outcomes of that partnership, and emphasised that the interconnected nature of the livestock sector means a weakness anywhere in the value chain becomes a risk to everyone.
NNFU president Adolf Muremi outlined the structure and governance of the FMD Support Fund, confirming it as an independently audited Section 21 company with a board comprising one representative from each farmers’ union and four independent experts.
“Already, more than N$12 million has been pledged to date by unions, agribusinesses and financial institutions, but the target is to raise N$50 million. Efforts for strategic projects to support government are ongoing,” he said.
PDNFU president Jane Kuhanga urged producers to strengthen on-farm biosecurity, comply with animal identification requirements and movement controls and report suspected symptoms of disease without delay.
She appealed to the private sector and development partners to “invest in food security, rural livelihoods, economic stability and Namibia’s future”.
Project manager Ingrid Henckert-Weissnar says the FMD Support Fund was established in 2026 to support FMD preparedness, prevention, awareness, communication, and response-readiness projects, in accordance with Namibia’s national FMD strategy.
– email: matthew@namibian.com.na
