The European Union (EU) has suspended imports of fresh beef, sheep and goat meat and of biltong from Namibia after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, the EU said on 5 October. The outbreak hit a commercial farm in the southern Karasburg veterinary district, and the World Organisation for Animal Health suspended the zone’s disease-free status from 22 September. Heat-treated meat can still enter the EU, and Namibia’s trade preferences under its partnership agreement with the EU are unaffected. The EU is a premium market for Namibian beef, so a long suspension would cut export earnings and farm incomes. Containing the outbreak quickly is Namibia’s route back to the market.