Namibia: Namibia Beefs With FMD
[New Era] As the only African country concurrently holding beef export access to the lucrative EU, United States, China and Norwegian markets, Namibia might face a tough time, one threatening livelihood and the economic jugular.
Namibia, a country with exclusive access to export beef to the EU, US, China, and Norway, is facing significant challenges due to an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD). The disease was confirmed in 10 out of 11 tested cattle in the southern Karas region, prompting a nationwide suspension of movement, marketing, import, and export of cloven-hoofed animals and their by-products.
This move aims to control the outbreak, which could cost Namibia between N$2.5 billion and N$6 billion in lost export revenue if the premium international beef market channels are disrupted. The outbreak could also lead to a 10% contraction in livestock output, reducing GDP by 0.45 percentage points and negatively impacting the processing sector by 0.5-1.0 percentage points.
The FMD outbreak underscores the vulnerability of Namibia's livestock sector, which supports approximately 70% of the population and generates over 40,000 jobs. The economic and social implications of the outbreak could be severe, with potential losses reaching N$6 billion and a contraction of up to 1.0 percentage point in annual GDP growth.
Written by urgent.news from AllAfrica Health's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
Also reported by 1 other outlet
- Namibia: Namibia Beefs With FMD allafrica.com
