The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform is intensifying Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) awareness along border communities following outbreaks in neighboring countries.

Namibia remains the only SADC country free of the disease.

Dr. Kennedy Shoombe, Chief Veterinary Officer, stressed, “It is important that communities along the border lines are well informed of the situation so that they support the government effort to ensure that we safeguard Namibia in terms of trans-boundary diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease.”

He urged compliance with animal health regulations, “We are emphasising that the movements of goods such as livestock, live livestock, products from livestock such as butter, milk and cheese are products that can transmit the FMD virus hence these products are not permitted to move across the border from the current infested countries to our country.”

Farmers along the veterinary cordon fence are urged to move their animals further inland.