By: Guleid Abdi Maher
ERIGAVO (Somalilandsun) – Somaliland authorities have revealed that livestock in their millions have been exported via the port of Berbera to Saudi Arabia and other gulf countries number for consumption during the Eid Ul Adha.
This was informed by the minister of livestock development Dr. Abdi Aw Dahir Ali during an interview with Dawan Newspaper in Erigavo the Sanaag regional headquarters where he also revealed that the government has benefited immensely in terms of revenues accrued from the exports.
He estimated that a port 3.5 million livestock had been loaded to ships enroute to Saudi Arabia where the annual pilgrimage of Hajj is taking place in the two holly cities of Mecca and Medina.
The Minister said that within this month 1.5 million have been exported and the other 2 million before, “this year has seen we have seen an increase in the number of livestock exports from the previous years,” Mr. Aw Dahir said. Most of these animals are brought from across the Horn of Africa especially Ethiopia and Puntland. Somaliland’s livestock markets have experienced an increase in trade activities. In almost all regions of the country you will see truck loads of livestock being transported to the town of Berbera. It is expected by the end of this month that about 5 million livestock will have been transported to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf countries. The government has established livestock quarantine in the port town of Berbera where animals are checked of disease and well fed before shipment. Several ships are now docked at the port so that they are loaded with their cargo
