The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Land Reform says it could soon ease FMD restrictions to address meat-related commodity shortages.

Restrictions on animal movement have affected abattoirs, auction markets, traders in livestock products, transport and logistics, and live exports.

This has also impacted the liquidity of businesses in the value chains and capacity to sustain them as well as employment.

The Namibian Chamber of Commerce and Industry is worried about the restrictions.

The Chief Veterinary Officer, Kenneth Shoombe, explained that there are possibilities to ease the restrictions.

“We managed to trace that the disease has not moved from the former FMD-free zone to the rest of the country."

He said the ministry will issue a veterinary public notification outlining standard operating procedures to regulate such movements.

Shoombe also explained the reason why the proposed Animal Disease Control fence from Aruab to the Fish River Canyon was being constructed 30 kilometers away from the epicenter.

He stated that under the World Organisation for Animal Health framework, Namibia has a maximum of two years to control the disease within the designated containment zone and failure to do so could result in the entire zone being classified as infected.