JEDDAH, 24 July — In a joint operation, the Jeddah Municipality and the Agriculture Ministry have closed down 46 poultry farms operating in violation of health regulations. An official source at the municipality said the farms were operating without licenses and on properties they did not own. He said the farms were close down in the interest of consumer health.
The farms, which were not equipped with hatcheries, purchased chicks from bigger farms and bred them without the supervision of qualified veterinarians.
Charges against the farms included operating without proper authorization, total disregard for hygienic regulations and presence of farm hands who did not carry health certificates. The authorities also arrested 70 workers from the farms.
The officials warned all unlicensed poultry farms in the city to cease operations immediately. Inspectors from the municipality will carry out surprise checks at poultry farms in various parts of the city to ensure that they abide by the regulations, the source said.
In another development, municipal authorities impounded and destroyed 1,240 kg of fish unfit for human consumption from the central fish market in Jeddah. The officials distributed 125 kg of fresh fish seized from unauthorized traders to charitable organizations. Six workers were arrested for various violations. Officials asked shop owners to ensure that refrigerators used for preserving fish were functioning properly.
Foodstuffs seized: Anti-fraud squads from the Commerce Ministry inspected eight warehouses in different parts of the city and confiscated 10 tons of foodstuffs such as biscuits, chocolates, cheese, mineral water and olive oil which were found to be unfit for consumption.
The warehouse owners were ordered to destroy the foodstuffs in the presence of municipal officials. Muhammad Al-Harbie, director general of the ministry’s branch in Jeddah, said the warehouse owners would be prosecuted for violating health regulations.
