Saudi- Imported sheep to keep price stable during Haj

(MENAFN- Arab News) More than 2 million livestock will be imported through Oct. 14 to keep prices stable, said Suleiman Al-Jabri, chairman of the Livestock Committee at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), on Monday. The prices of Barbar sheep will remain at between SR450 and SR500, while Sawakni sheep will range between SR600 and SR900 depending on size and weight. He explained that the Jeddah Islamic Port began receiving livestock in early September from Somalia and Sudan to meet demand during Haj. He said that 600,000 heads of livestock reached the JIP to date. "We are expecting the arrival of 150,000 Barbar sheep and 20,000 Sawakni sheep in the next two days. The arrival of livestock will continue until we have received the quantity according to plan," he said. Al-Jabri assured that markets would experience price stability during the pilgrimage season with the arrival of such large amounts of imported livestock to fulfill the needs of consumers. He also said that the Barbar and Sawakni types of sheep are currently available in the market in accordance with demand. The price of other kinds of sheep, like Hariri and Naimi, are high due to lack of supply. He praised the generous support of the government of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah in monitoring activities in the Ministry of Agriculture, which encourages traders and importers to provide livestock according to market needs. "The ministry facilitated import procedures, opened new areas for import and provided all kinds of support. Livestock prices have risen significantly due to higher prices in exporting countries. Our local market depends on imports to cover 75 percent of local demand," Al-Jabri explained.