The Keetmanshoop branch of the Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) has appealed to all stakeholders in the agriculture value chain to fully comply with the Foot-and-Mouth  restrictions and biosecurity measures. 

Its chairperson, Desmond Andreas, in a media statement, said stakeholders need to place the collective interest of the southern economy and country first ahead of individual commercial interest. 

Short-term sacrifices, he remarked, may be necessary to protect the long-term sustainability of an industry upon which  thousands of  livelihoods depend. 

Andreas encouraged the government and relevant authorities to implement the virus containment measures to update stakeholders in the agriculture sector timeously on the FMD situation. 

Equally, he urged the stakeholders to help the government confront the outbreak, as it cannot  tackle it alone. 

He noted the fight against FMD requires a united regional response, built on cooperation, compliance,  accurate information and mutual understanding.