Four farmers' unions have joined forces to strengthen the country's fight against Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), launching a collaborative leadership campaign and support fund aimed at safeguarding the livestock industry and protecting Namibia's export markets.
The initiative, known as the "Farmers' Union Leadership Campaign," was born out of concerns following a visit by local agricultural leaders to South Africa, where widespread FMD outbreaks severely affected the livestock sector.
Speaking at the campaign launch, representatives said the experience exposed the need for a united national response.
Using the analogy of "eating an elephant piece by piece," they stressed that tackling FMD cannot be achieved by one organisation or the farming community alone but requires the commitment of every citizen.
Namibia currently remains one of the few African countries able to export livestock products to premium international markets, a status agricultural leaders say must be protected through collective action.
Agricultural leaders say the unprecedented collaboration between the four unions demonstrates a shared commitment to keeping Namibia free of major livestock diseases and preserving the country's reputation as a trusted exporter of animal products.
President of the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) Thinus Pretorius explained.
“I think all the competent authorities did buy in, and we have the privilege to have learned from our neighbours what works and what doesn't work. Collaboration and working together is the pitfall or the success of this whole campaign.”
One of the campaign's key outcomes is the establishment of the FMD Support Fun, officially launched earlier this year.
The unions emphasised that the fund does not replace government funding or the Directorate of Veterinary Services but is intended to complement national efforts by helping meet funding gaps.
President of the Namibia National Farmers' Union (NNFU) Adolf Muremi assured members that the fund was established to meet its purpose.
“So to date, we can say we are talking about more than N$12 million in this fund. So the purpose is actually to raise more than that; at least the target is N$50 million. So this fund is having its own independent account; it is independently audited, meaning that farmers, stakeholders, or industry partners can rest assured that the fund that they are giving is in good hands.”
The campaign continues to appeal to industry partners, stakeholders, and international supporters to contribute, arguing that investing in prevention is far less costly than dealing with the devastating economic consequences of an FMD outbreak.
The campaign, which includes the Namibia Emerging Commercial Farmers' Union, NAU, NNFU, and the Previously Disadvantaged Namibian Farmers' Union, is being driven under the slogan "One Nation, One Herd, One Responsibility."