The government has mobilised N$369 million to contain the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, including N$179 million reallocated to the agriculture ministry through a 2% reduction in expenditure ceilings across government offices, ministries and agencies.
Finance Minister Ericah Shafudah announced the additional allocation during the presentation of the 2026/27 Mid-Year Budget Review in the National Assembly on Thursday, as authorities intensify vaccination, surveillance and livestock movement controls in the affected //Kharas and Zambezi regions.
Shafudah said the reallocation followed a N$1.5 billion downward revision in government revenue projections and a weaker economic growth outlook, requiring the government to redirect existing resources towards urgent priorities.
“An amount of N$179 million to Vote 38: Agriculture and Land Reform, for the containment and management of the outbreak of Foot-and-Mouth Disease,” she said.
The minister said the funding was mobilised through a 2% reduction in expenditure ceilings across all government offices, ministries and agencies.
The outbreak, first confirmed in the Karasburg Veterinary District of the //Kharas Region on 23 September 2026, has triggered livestock movement restrictions and raised concerns about agricultural production, export earnings and rural livelihoods.
“We remain committed to containing the outbreak and the relevant ministry will continue to closely monitor the situation and take the necessary actions to ensure speedy return to normality,” Shafudah said.
The disease has emerged as a risk to Namibia’s agricultural outlook, particularly livestock production, with restrictions on animal movement and marketing potentially affecting farmers’ incomes and the industry’s recovery.
The government also faces pressure from anticipated El Niño-related drought conditions, which could further affect agricultural production and food security.
The latest budget intervention comes as veterinary authorities continue efforts to contain FMD outbreaks in the //Kharas and Zambezi regions.
On 21 October, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform Deputy Director Romeo Muyunda confirmed that no new FMD cases had been detected outside the designated disease management area on Kalala Island in the Zambezi Region.
Muyunda said 42,286 cattle had been vaccinated across 34 crush pens in affected and surrounding areas since the outbreak was confirmed on Kalala Island on 6 October.
Active surveillance and livestock movement controls remain in place, with roadblocks at Luhono, Linyanti and Kavango jointly manned by Directorate of Veterinary Services officials and the Namibian Police.
In the //Kharas Region, authorities have confirmed 131 FMD cases across 18 farms in the Karasburg Veterinary District.
Livestock movement restrictions, surveillance and vaccination measures remain in force as the government seeks to prevent further transmission and limit the economic impact on the livestock industry.
