Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics (ESL) has commenced the export of live animals from the newly launched international standard quarantine facility built in Mille, Afar Region.
Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics CEO Berisso Amallo told ENA that the company has transported the first 7,000 sheep from Mille Quarantine Center to Djibouti Port using 28 trucks.
The sheep will be shipped from Djibouti’s Doralleh port to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Livestock development is a crucial part of Ethiopia’s Homegrown Economic Reform agenda. However, until recently, there were no international standard quarantine facilities in Ethiopia, which hampered exports of live animals in fear of communicable diseases.
Well-managed export quarantine facilities certified by importing countries are a prerequisite for livestock and meat exports. Due to the lack of such facilities, Ethiopian livestock were previously exported via Djibouti’s quarantine system and certified as of Djiboutian origin, affecting Ethiopia’s export competitiveness.
However, exporting live animals will be carried out using the newly built facility with Ethiopian certification of origin for the first time.
The new Mille Quarantine Center solves this issue by allowing livestock health screening per Saudi import regulations before export. ESL will now directly handle exports from Mille to Djibouti for onward shipment, removing intermediaries.
Berisso stated that Saudi Arabia’s accreditation of the facility will enables Ethiopia to increase export revenues and reducing livestock smuggling.
The recognition of Mille Quarantine by major Middle Eastern importers will also curb the illegal animal trade and develop this crucial sector for Ethiopia’s economy, he said.
Source: Ethiopian News Agency