Namibia’s Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) outbreak could have knock-on effects across transport, auctioneering, meat processing and banking as restrictions disrupt activity in the livestock sector, the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has warned.
NCCI President Vetumbuavi Mungunda said the outbreak poses risks beyond farmers and livestock producers, requiring measures to cushion businesses exposed to the agricultural value chain.
“There is a downstream impact on other sectors such as transport, auctioneering, processing and banking that will need to be understood and mitigated,” Mungunda said.
The Chamber plans to engage businesses in agriculture, logistics, retail, banking and insurance to assess the extent of the disruption and identify measures that could reduce the economic impact.
It has also called on banks and insurers to provide flexible support to affected businesses, with regulators urged to enable appropriate relief measures.
Mungunda said the outbreak could have significant implications for livelihoods because of the country’s reliance on agriculture, particularly livestock production.
“With over 60% of our country’s livelihoods dependent on the agricultural sector, with most livelihoods directly linked to the livestock sub-sector, this outbreak poses the greatest risk to our country’s immediate capacity to feed its citizens,” he said.
The NCCI urged farmers and businesses to comply with veterinary directives and livestock movement restrictions, saying effective containment would depend on strict adherence to the measures.
“Namibia has the institutional capacity to manage this outbreak successfully, but only if all stakeholders act with urgency and discipline,” Mungunda said.
The Chamber said another priority was maintaining confidence among Namibia’s trading partners to reduce the risk of additional trade disruptions.
It said clear communication, rapid response measures and timely decisions would be critical to containing the outbreak while limiting disruption across the agricultural value chain.
The NCCI also called for further private-sector contributions to the Foot-and-Mouth Disease Support Fund to assist national containment efforts.
