The Ministry of Agriculture expects a rise in the price of meat with the advent of Ramadan and is trying to ensure market stability with livestock imports from a number of new countries. Jaber Bin Muhammad Al-Shehri, the ministry's Assistant Undersecretary for Animal Resources Affairs, said that locally raised livestock covers only 25 to 30 percent of the market; while annual imports amount to five million sheep, camels and cows costing about SR3 billion. Al-Shehri said the Kingdom imported about 700,000 animals in the first five months of this year. He said the ministry has prepared an integrated national strategy for the development of the sector, and eased procedures for investors and importers of livestock. “It is exerting huge efforts to maintain stability in the market,” Al-Shehri said. He said the Kingdom may start importing next month from certain countries including Mauritania, Senegal, Romania and Ethiopia. The ministry has sent teams of specialists to these countries to examine the health of the livestock. Although the government has recently allowed imports of livestock – sheep, cows and camels – from South American countries to create further competition, no imports have yet arrived from that continent. The ministry wants importers to cover the market's requirements by importing from various countries in accordance with conditions and regulations based on the recommendations of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE). “There are no shipments from South America so far, but we expect importing to start. These countries have natural green pastures and the livestock is healthy,” he said. The ministry wants livestock owners to increase local production of sheep and cows. It will encourage investors to set up national projects, to reduce the dependence on imports. The ministry has prepared a strategy, with the assistance of specialists from the ministry and universities, to develop the livestock sector in the Kingdom, and has submitted it to the King for approval. __
