MUSCAT — A contingency plan has been drafted for the immediate supply of meat to meet the rising demand in the local market during the month of Ramadhan. The plan provides for the easing of measures to import live animals and co-ordinate with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OCCI) to facilitate the import of live animals from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as new exporting countries like Iran, Ethiopia and Somalia.
The step comes in a bid by the government to ensure the availability of meat during the rest of Ramadhan and Eid al Fitr as a rise in supply would help bring down prices. The plan is as follows:
• The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries allows establishments and companies operating in the field of livestock import from the UAE and Iran to import any number of live animals without restrictions on type or gender and to quarantine the animals in their own farms.
• The ministry permits the import of live animals from the UAE for personal use, a maximum of 50 heads of sheep and goats and 5 heads of cattle from the current period till Eid Al Adha.
• The Ministry of Commerce and Industry co-ordinates with National Ferries Company to facilitated the transport of meat/livestock from the governorate of Musandam.
The same ministry liaises with Oman Air to facilitate clearance of ready meat airlifted to the Sultanate. The OCCI co-ordinates with transit traders and importers of sheep from Somalia via the governorate of Dhofar to increase display in Ramadhan.
