A state veterinarian must inspect EU-approved livestock farms annually so that they can retain their certification and access to this most important export market.
However, the Namibia Agricultural Union (NAU) told Farmer’s Weekly that it was aware of a growing funding shortfall at that country’s Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS). The issue came to a head earlier this month when the union was hit by a wave of queries from concerned members.
The NAU has spent the past three weeks engaging proactively with the DVS and the broader red meat value chain to find a solution. It first commented publicly on the matter in its newsletter on 14 August, noting that the DVS had indicated that its operational budget for the current financial year had been depleted.
“This is not simply a farmer problem. The whole economy is being affected – local value addition, abattoirs, jobs, packaging, transport, and the foreign currency earned and ploughed back into the economy. The only way we grow is through investment and foreign money flowing in,” the NAU told Farmer’s Weekly.
“This is a time-sensitive matter. Namibian red meat producers must be inspected by a state veterinarian every year, covering everything from farm administration and movement reconciliations to vaccination records and traceability requirements.
“Certification is renewed annually. Without it, a producer cannot deliver animals to an export abattoir. We’re fortunate in Namibia that the industry is willing to work with the authorities and the whole value chain to find a solution.”
The NAU added that this was the first time that Namibia had faced this kind of risk to its EU certification.
“It’s not a compliance failure but a budgetary one. The EU has steadily raised the bar on what it requires for compliance, and Namibia has met every one of those requirements to date.
“Politicians need to realise how important agriculture, and the DVS in particular, is to the economy and to rural Namibia. If the DVS is underfunded, Namibia is impacted.”
The union explained that in this case, hastily rerouting exports to other markets is not a realistic option.
“Namibia’s premium beef economy is built around serving the EU, its top-paying market. The country is open to opportunities in China and the rest of Africa, but new markets aren’t built overnight. Producers have to protect the markets and relationships they already hold,” it said.
According to the 2025/26 Integrated Annual Report from the Meat Corporation of Namibia, Namibia’s state-owned red meat processor and marketer, during that financial year, the company exported 5 250t of meat to the EU and Norway, accounting for 96% of the country’s exports. On average, it realised €8,20/kg (around R154/kg) in this market.
An interim solution
Asked how long an emergency fix might take through official channels, the NAU said bureaucracies moved slowly, and producers couldn’t afford to wait on them.
“That is precisely why farmers, the Livestock and Livestock Products Board of Namibia [LLPBN], and the DVS are standing together on an interim solution, with the industry offering to temporarily take over elements of the cost of inspections to keep certification on track while a longer-term, properly funded arrangement is negotiated with the government,” it explained.
The union said in its newsletter that to prevent disruptions to exports, the Livestock Producers’ Organisation had approached the DVS and the LLPBN, and together they had come up with a temporary solution.
“For a limited period, producers requiring EU certification will cover the travel and related costs of state veterinarians conducting the EU inspections through the LLPBN. The LLPBN is currently preparing a formal proposal to the government, while guidance from [the Namibian] Treasury is also required regarding the appropriate financial arrangements.
“This arrangement is not, however, regarded as a sustainable long-term solution,” it noted.
The NAU described the DVS as “the quiet hero of Namibia’s export story”.
“For years, the DVS has delivered far more than it has been resourced to deliver, and it is the DVS that has kept Namibia’s export doors open. This is a textbook example of how the private and public sectors can work together, and the DVS plays a cardinal role in market access.”
Long-term solutions
The NAU outlined two options to prevent the recurrence of such a situation. One is the establishment of a dedicated account within the Treasury, where funds could be ring-fenced for EU inspections and other essential DVS operational activities.
“A broader animal health levy is also being considered. Such a mechanism could provide a more sustainable means of financing services that are essential to maintaining Namibia’s animal health status and continued access to international export markets,” the newsletter said.
“The current situation has, however, highlighted a much broader issue. Veterinary services are not merely an administrative function of the state. They play a strategic role in protecting animal health, food security, rural livelihoods, employment, and access to international markets.
“Government must therefore recognise the strategic economic importance of the DVS and ensure that sufficient funding is made available to enable the directorate to fulfil its statutory responsibilities,” it concluded.
