Government has not banned the importation or sale of UHT and pasteurised milk under measures introduced to contain the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Kenneth Shoombe has clarified.
The clarification comes amid reports of consumers hoarding milk and other dairy products over fears of possible shortages following restrictions on the movement of livestock and animal products.
Shoombe told The Brief , UHT milk imports remain open, while pasteurised milk and other processed dairy products can continue to be traded and moved subject to veterinary requirements.
“We have not closed that. We still allow it on condition that they have a permit from Veterinary Services. The imports of UHT are not closed,” Shoombe said.
“What we have banned is the movement of non-pasteurised milk moving from farm to farm or from farms to the cities.”
The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform confirmed in Veterinary Public Notification No. 16 of 2026 issued on Sunday that the movement and trade of pasteurised milk and its products is allowed countrywide.
The Ministry said restrictions apply to unpasteurised milk in certain movements as part of measures aimed at limiting the risk of FMD transmission.
The clarification is expected to ease concerns over the availability of milk and dairy products, which have prompted some consumers to stock up amid uncertainty over the scope of the restrictions.
The Ministry has meanwhile partially lifted some of the initial FMD restrictions after preliminary tracing and livestock inspections indicated that the disease remains localised in the //Kharas Region.
Livestock that moved from the infected farm to the Otjozondjupa Region before the outbreak was detected were traced and tested negative for FMD, with the herd subsequently cleared of infection.
The Ministry said its traceability system had also found no evidence suggesting a risk of transmission to areas north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence.
Restrictions on the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and their products within areas north of the fence have therefore been lifted with immediate effect.
However, the movement of cloven-hoofed animals and products including meat, skins, unpasteurised milk and butter from south to north of the Veterinary Cordon Fence remains restricted.
