By: Peneyambeko Jonas
Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) containment restrictions have deepened the value chain pain for meat traders, butcheries, food vendors and consumers.
The restrictions on red meat and products have reduced business income and limited consumer choice in affected regions of Namibia.
Residents and business owners say the outbreak has disrupted their livelihoods, with some traders switching to chicken and pork to remain in business.
They report losing customers who prefer red meat, while consumers face concerns about the prices and storage of alternative meat products.
Speaking to The Villager Newspaper, Ndinelao Nashidengo, a resident of Rosh Pinah, said chicken and pork were among the few meat options available to them at the moment.
She said some local food vendors were charging high chicken prices, placing additional pressure on consumers who had limited alternatives.
“This is a situation of take it or leave it. Either you buy, or someone else takes your portion,” Nashidengo said.
She also raised concerns about the storage of pork during hot weather, saying it could spoil quickly if not handled properly.
“Because the weather is hot, pork can spoil easily. Local food vendors should ensure that they do not cook too much pork at once and that they store it properly under refrigeration,” she said.
Nashidengo’s concerns highlight the challenges consumers face when their usual food choices become limited and the prices of available alternatives increase.
For small businesses, the outbreak has also affected daily earnings and customer demand.
Ndeyapo David, a kapana vendor, told The Villager Newspaper that selling grilled red meat had previously provided a reliable source of income. However, the restrictions linked to FMD forced the vendor to switch to chicken.
“Back then, I used to make good money and profit from selling kapana. When foot-and-mouth disease came and I had to stop selling meat, I turned to chicken. However, I have lost customers because people do not like chicken and pork as much as they like red meat,” David said.
David, who has sold kapana for the past three years, said the change had affected the business and expressed hope that the outbreak would be brought under control so that normal trading could resume.
The impact is also being felt by butcheries that previously supplied meat to street vendors and other customers.
Victor Jeremiah of Naukalemo Farm Fresh Meat CC Butchery in Grysblock, Windhoek, told The Villager Newspaper that his business has experienced a decline in sales because many street vendors who bought meat to prepare kapana were no longer purchasing their usual supplies.
“There is no meat business as before because most street vendors used to buy meat from us to prepare their kapana. Since the outbreak, business has fallen,” Jeremiah said.
He said the butchery had tried to maintain operations by selling chicken and fish, but demand remained limited because many consumers preferred red meat.
Jeremiah added that the decline in sales had forced him to send some workers home while waiting for business conditions to improve.
He called on the government to consider financial assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises affected by the outbreak.
“I am urging the government to provide grants to small and medium-sized enterprises to help them get back on their feet while business recovers. Many butcheries around Windhoek are closed, and this should be treated as an emergency,” he said.
penny@eaglefm.com.na
