Compulsory FMD vaccinations for //Kharas livestock

Compulsory foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination in designated areas of the Karasburg State Veterinary District began yesterday as authorities intensify efforts to contain the outbreak in //Kharas.This followed a water shortage that disrupted vehicle disinfection at a checkpoint near Keetmanshoop on Tuesday.The agriculture announced yesterday that the vaccination campaign will consist of three rounds over three months, with livestock owners required to present all cattle, sheep, goats and pigs in designated areas.Farmers must also provide suitable handling facilities and labour to assist veterinary officials. Only government-supplied vaccines administered by authorised veterinary officials are permitted.The directive covers specified farms along the B3 and C10 road corridors towards the Orange River. Vaccination arrangements for farms north of the designated roads remain subject to further risk assessments.The campaign forms part of broader efforts to prevent the disease from spreading beyond the affected areas.Authorities are also strengthening physical barriers to limit the movement of potentially infected animals. Construction of a veterinary cordon fence along the Orange River has begun, with the project expected to take four months to complete.A separate containment-zone fence is also expected to begin soon. The fencing projects complement vaccination, livestock movement restrictions and surveillance measures aimed at containing the disease.The ministry has urged farmers to comply with the vaccination directive, monitor their livestock for clinical signs of FMD and report suspected cases to the nearest State Veterinary Office.Risky productsOn Tuesday, however, an official at an FMD checkpoint on the road from Keetmanshoop towards Grünau said a water shortage had prevented vehicles from being disinfected since the morning.Travellers could still use a disinfectant mat to treat their footwear, but vehicles had to be directed to another disinfection point.The vehicle in question was later disinfected upon reaching Grünau. Vehicles entering Grünau from Karasburg, Keetmanshoop and areas further north are also being disinfected as part of the containment measures.During visit to the Velloordrif Border Post on Wednesday, Namibian Sun’s crew found no vehicle movement between Namibia and South Africa at the time. Officials stationed there said traffic fluctuates, with several vehicles recorded the previous day.They added that they had not encountered any vehicles from which meat or other potentially risky products had been confiscated since the outbreak.Unlike the checkpoint near Keetmanshoop, officials at Velloordrif confirmed that water supplies were sufficient to disinfect vehicles and travellers crossing between the two countries.The outbreak was confirmed on 23 September at a commercial farm in the Karasburg State Veterinary District. By 6 October, 129 animal samples had tested positive, with 17 farms affected.

Compulsory FMD vaccinations for //Kharas livestock

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-15

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Compulsory FMD vaccinations for //Kharas livestock

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Namibian Sun 2026-10-15

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