JEDDAH, 5 September 2003 — Saudi Arabia is looking for new sources of livestock imports after Australia last week suspended further shipments of livestock to the Kingdom.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced on Tuesday it was lifting a ban on livestock imports from Argentina in its bid to ensure adequate supplies of sheep and other animals here.
The Australian government is demanding an effective mechanism to ensure safe entry of its livestock into the Kingdom after Saudi authorities rejected a shipment of 57,000 Australian sheep. Canberra called on Riyadh to reconsider its rejection of the shipload, claiming Saudi veterinarians had made a mistake when examining the live cargo.
The sheep arrived in the Red Sea port of Jeddah two weeks ago, but Saudi veterinarians ruled that six percent had scabby mouth disease, exceeding the Saudi limit of five percent.
The disease previously led to imports of Australian live sheep being banned for nine years from 1991.
Since the trade resumed in 2000, Saudi Arabia has become Australia’s largest market for live sheep, importing $78 million worth last year. The viral disease, which causes cold sore-like scabs on the sheep’s mouth, can cause lesions on the arms of humans who handle infected animals.
Australian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bob Tyson said he had asked the Saudis to make a second inspection of the sheep aboard the Cormo Express.
Saudi livestock importer Mishaal Nasser Al-Makairesh told Al-Watan daily that Saudi businessmen were in talks with their counterparts in Buenos Aires to import the first shipment of Argentine sheep.
