RIYADH, 19 Februar — The recent lifting of the ban on the import of Australian sheep has brought down the prices of the imported varieties from Sudan, Syria and Jordan. However, the prices of domestic sheep favored by the Saudis have remained unaffected.
According to Saleh Al-Hussan, chief of the Azizia sheep market in Riyadh, the prices of Australian sheep have dropped from SR350-360 before the ban to SR250 or thereabout currently. Similarly, Syrian sheep cost SR530 at present as against SR580 prior to the ban, while the ruling price for Jordanian sheep — the latest arrival on the Saudi market — ranges from SR460 to SR600, depending on weight. Sudanese sheep cost somewhere between SR450 and SR500.
Khaled Al-Hussan told Arab News that the downtrend in the imported sheep market, however, has not affected the prices of the local Najdi, Naimi and Baladi sheep which range from SR500 to SR750. He said the demand would pick up around the Eid time.
Misfer Al-Muthairy, a salesman at the sheep market, said the price of Naimi sheep went up from SR475 to SR550 as the Eid Al-Adha is approaching. Prices for other domestic breeds have also soared — from SR520 to SR700 for Baladi and from SR700 to SR1,200 for the Najdi variety. Saudis fancy the local varieties for their taste and fat content.
The government has banned movement of sheep from Jizan to other regions following the outbreak of the foot-and-mouth disease in the Southern Province and neighboring Yemen last year. Subsequently, sheep imports from Somalia, Kenya, Turkey and several European countries were also banned.
The ban on Sudanese cattle, except beef, was withdrawn in December last year after a memorandum of veterinary health had been signed with Khartoum. The agreement stipulated that animals imported from Sudan should be free from all infectious diseases.
Saudi specialists visited slaughter houses, livestock farms and meat factories to ensure that they were abiding by all the conditions laid down by the Saudi government before allowing in sheep imports from Sudan.
Saudi traders have welcomed the lifting of the ban which eased pressure on the market prices. There are ten major sheep markets in Riyadh, some of which are located close to the municipal slaughterhouses. A visit to the Azizia sheep market yesterday showed hundreds of sheep arrivals from Jordan.
According to official statistics, Saudi Arabia imports 17.9 million sheep annually, of which 6.2 million are goats. The local sheep are bred mainly in Arar, Hafr Al-Batin and Jouf.
