African Swine Fever, Namibia , Africa

December 27, 2004

Impact Worksheet

Summary:

Namibia , Africa, reported the country’s first occurrence of African swine fever (ASF) since 2001 to the OIE on December 21, 2004.  The outbreak was initially recognized on Dec 11, 2004.  Some of Namibia ’s neighboring countries have experienced recent ASF outbreaks.

The USDA has not recognized Namibia as free of ASF; therefore, the U.S. does not currently accept live swine or pork products from this country.  Namibia has a small swine industry, and exported only a negligible amount of live swine and swine meat in the world market in 2002 and 2003.  Most of the agriculture in Namibia is subsistence farming.

How extensive is African swine fever in Namibia , and what was Namibia ’s disease status prior to the outbreak?

Namibia last reported ASF to the OIE in November 2001.  The ill animals in the current outbreak were detected on December 11, 2004.  The outbreak involves 185 swine (101 adults/juveniles, and 84 piglets) in the Okahandja district in a peri-urban, commercial pig herd.  The origin of infection is thought to be through contact with wild warthogs.  African swine fever is considered endemic in the warthog population. 

A total of 25 dead pigs were observed.  The remaining 160 pigs in the herd were culled.  Diagnosis of ASF was confirmed using clinical and post-mortem exam, histopathology, virus isolation, and PCR.  Control is being obtained through culling, disinfection and area surveillance.

Neighboring countries have experienced recent outbreaks of ASF including Angola and South Africa in 2003 and Zambia in 2002. 

The USDA does not recognize Namibia as free of ASF; therefore, the U.S. does not currently accept live swine or pork products from this country. 

Source: OIE Disease Information Report

What is Namibia ’s place in the international market for swine and pork products?

Namibia ’s stock of live pigs is small and amounted to 22,000 head in 2003 and 2004 [1] .  Of its stock of live pigs, Namibia exported less than 10 percent during 2003.  Namibia ’s stock of pigs and its live pig exports are less than 0.1 percent of world stocks and exports. 

Table 1.  Swine stocks and pig meat production, Namibia , 2003 and 2004

Source: United Nations FAO

Other than the exported pigs, pig meat, and sausage detailed in Table 2, Namibia exported negligible amounts of pig products including processed pork, pig offal, and pig fat.  Namibia ’s total exports of pigs and pig products amounted to less than 0.1 percent of world exports. 

Table 2.  Exports of live swine and pig meat, Namibia , 2003 and 2004

	2002		2003		% of World in 2003
	Quantity (hd or mt)	Value ($)	Quantity (hd or mt)	Value ($)	Quantity	Value
Live Swine	338	82,000	1,931	313,000	<0.1%	<0.1%
Pig meat	257	264,000	79	95,000	<0.1%	<0.1%
Sausage of pig meat	424	787,000	213	901,000	<0.1%	<0.1%

Source: United Nations FAO

What are the U.S. imports of swine or pork products from Namibia ?

The U.S. imported no live swine or pork products from Namibia during 2003 and (Jan.–Oct.) 2004. 

Source: World Trade Atlas

What are the Canadian and Mexican imports of swine or pork products from Namibia ?

Neither Canada nor Mexico imported live swine or pork products from Namibia during 2003 and (Jan.–Oct.) 2004. 

Source: World Trade Atlas

What is the level of passenger traffic arriving in the United States from Namibia ?

In 2003, 912 travelers to the U.S. were declared residents of Namibia .  As part of APHIS-PPQ’s agriculture quarantine inspection monitoring, 6 air passengers from Namibia were sampled for items of agricultural interest in fiscal year 2003.  Of these passengers, one person was found to be carrying dried beef, which was seized.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, and APHIS-PPQ Agricultural Quarantine Inspection data base

CEI’s plans for follow up:

As of December 27, 2004, the Center for Emerging Issues has no further plans for follow-up of ASF in Namibia .  If you need more information, or you want to comment on this worksheet, please contact Cynthia Johnson (970)494-7332 or Wolf Weber (970)-494-7222.