The prices of sacrificial animals in Jordan have witnessed a remarkable rise a few days after the opening of the door for export to Saudi Arabia, following the decision to ban exports that lasted for several months due to foot-and-mouth disease that affected cows and sheep farms in the country. According to livestock dealers in Jordan, the prices of sacrificial animals have begun to rise at a rate that may be higher than last year, as a result of the high prices of sacrificial animals imported from different origins and the closeness of their prices with that of the municipality.

Trader Khalil Al-Shatrat told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that opening the door to export to Saudi Arabia resulted in an increase in the high prices, especially for municipal sacrifices, noting that the price of lamb ranges between 300 and 500 dollars. Saudi Arabia opened the door to importing sacrificial animals from Jordan about a week ago, based on repeated demands by the Jordanian side, and the platform for that was activated, while the Jordanian competent authorities took measures to speed up and facilitate export requirements to enable farmers and merchants to dispose of the largest possible amount of livestock before Eid.

Ibtihal Al-Khraisha, head of the Agriculture Directorate in Mafraq Governorate, Jordan, adjacent to the Saudi border, said that the governorate’s exports of municipal sheep to the Saudi market since the temporary ban was lifted on them last Thursday amounted to 58,000 head, which constitutes 13 percent of the annual total exports of sheep to the Saudi market, amounting to about 400. thousand heads.

She added to the Jordan News Agency that the Saudi market is one of the main markets for Jordan’s exports of municipal sheep, noting that there are 12,000 heads ready for export to the Saudi market after fulfilling the conditions.

Al-Khraisha said that 14,000 examinations of several consignments of sheep have been completed, especially examinations for foot-and-mouth and brucellosis, while the cadres working in export operations have made great efforts since the lifting of the Saudi ban by working on official holidays and until late hours. midnight.

She explained that the Saudi requirements for resuming the export of sheep included conducting laboratory tests for foot-and-mouth and Maltese fever with a negative rate of one hundred percent, in addition to veterinary quarantine and biosecurity procedures. She said that based on the instructions of the Ministry of Agriculture, an emergency room was set up around the clock, in cooperation with the Jordanian Customs, to facilitate the export process.

Saudi Arabia is considered the first importer of sacrificial animals from Jordan, as more than 250,000 heads are supplied annually during this period to the Gulf countries, most of which are for the Saudi side, which achieves good returns for livestock breeders, but stopping imports several months ago put the sector in difficulties and the accumulation of quantities intended for foreign markets and loading farmers Big losses.

The Livestock Breeders Association estimates the number of sheep intended for export at about 300,000 heads, in addition to the quantities intended for the local market. The head of the association, Zaal Al-Qualit, confirmed in previous statements to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the continued closure of the export door will cause heavy losses to traders and livestock breeders, as the Jordanian market is unable to absorb these quantities with the presence of large numbers of livestock imported from different origins.

He pointed out that the price of a small, imported Romanian sheep is sold from 4 to 4.5 dinars per kilo standing, while large local lamb produced locally is sold at the same price, and a small one is 5 dinars standing (one dinar equals 1.41 dollars).

Al-Qualit said that the decision to stop imports, taken by the Jordanian Ministry of Agriculture, came in the interest of livestock breeders in light of the presence of large numbers of livestock that were intended for export and were not exported, but this does not compensate for opening the door for export.

In this context, the Ministry of Agriculture said that the number of municipal sheep available in the markets reached 950,000, while the calves imported from abroad and designated for the market amounted to 37,444 live calf heads, and that the needs of the local market for municipal sheep are estimated at 200 thousand heads, and for imported sheep between 250-300 thousand head, and local and imported calves between 15-17 thousand head.

The government provides support to livestock breeders by providing fodder at subsidized prices to reduce costs for farmers and motivate them to continue in this sector, which is one of the pillars of food security.

The New Arab