DAMMAM/RIYADH, 2 April — The Kingdom has extended a ban on beef and mutton imports to include several Arab, African and Asian states to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease in the Kingdom.
The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency has asked banks not to issue letters of credit to businessmen to import meat and meat products from countries on the ban list.
A trade circular issued by the Ministry of Commerce said the temporary ban covered all mutton and beef products from Gulf Arab and African states, in addition to Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Pakistan and China.
The circular said the decision was taken in light of reports by the International Epizootic Office (OIE) — the world’s animal health organization — and recent media reports on cases of foot-and-mouth in several countries.
The Kingdom, the biggest market in the Gulf region, banned imports of beef and mutton from Turkey and Lebanon last month due to concerns over the disease, which is not harmful to humans but can cause severe weight loss in livestock.
Agriculture Minister Abdullah ibn Muammar said last month that more than 2,417 cases of foot-and-mouth disease had been detected in different parts of the country.
The Kingdom and neighboring United Arab Emirates were the only Gulf Arab states to report the disease.
Riyadh banned imports of beef and mutton from European Union countries in January to pre-empt any entry of the mad cow disease.
Meanwhile, Australian Ambassador to the Kingdom Bob Tyson has clarified that there is no ban on the import of meat from Australia.
He, however, agreed that supply of Australian meat has slowed down due to some technical aspects related to import modalities and other issues being discussed with the Saudi authorities.
Though the ambassador insisted that meat from his country is being sold in the Kingdom, in the Eastern Province market, there was not a single outlet where Australian meat was available.
He said certain conditions and regulations for import of meat laid down by Saudi authorities were very tough and his mission and the Australian government were in constant touch with the local authorities to overcome these problems.
The ambassador hoped that these technicalities would be resolved soon and once again regular supplies will resume.
Tyson said his government respected the health and hygiene concerns of Saudi government. The Australian government also took extra precautions in these areas. Australia, he pointed out, had imposed a ban on the meat of several European countries especially after the outbreak of FMD.
He expressed concern over the shortage of meat supplies in the Saudi market and its eventual effect on the price and hoped that once the negotiations between the two governments are concluded, the shortage will be eliminated and prices stabilized.
Australia has been a traditional exporter of meat to Saudi Arabia. However, Australian meat and meat products virtually vanished from the shelves of the supermarkets for many months, even before the outbreak of FMD.
Strangely, New Zealand meat is still being imported in the Kingdom despite all those technical hiccups and anomalies.
Saudi Arabia imports about two-thirds of its beef requirement, estimated at 100,000 tons in 1999.
The ministerial committee appointed to control the spread of the foot-and-mouth disease, will discuss a scheme to compensate cattle breeders who suffered huge losses due to the disease, according to an informed source.
The committee, headed by Interior Minister Prince Naif, includes ministers of agriculture and water, municipal and rural affairs, finance and national economy and health. It will submit its findings and proposals to the higher authorities for implementation.
The preparatory committee also stressed the need to enlighten the public on the importance of informing the appropriate authorities about suspected cases in their farms. They should also be informed that the loss would be compensated in cash.
The government had earlier compensated farmers following the recent Rift Valley Fever outbreak in the southern region.
