Namibia estimates it needs far more money than it has already set aside to shield its livestock industry from an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease that has plagued cloven-hoofed animals in neighbouring South Africa.
The southwest African nation has allocated N$57 million ($3.6 million), just a fraction of the estimated N$1.5 billion it requires to protect its animals against the highly contagious disease, Agriculture Minister Inge Zaamwani told lawmakers Tuesday.
The money will go toward strengthening border patrols, enhancing surveillance and setting up disease-control and buffer zones, said Zaamwani.
Preserving FMD-free status is crucial for the economy of Namibia, where livestock farming comprises about two-thirds of the country’s agricultural output, while beef exports account for the largest share of outbound shipments.
Authorities in South Africa — the continent’s biggest beef producer — are investigating a case of FMD in the town of Kuruman that’s located in the Northern Cape and is
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