The Ethiopian Meat and Dairy Industry Development Institute said the country has secured 72 million USD over the last nine months of the fiscal year exporting meat to United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia.
UAE and Saudi are major importers of Ethiopia’s fresh goat’s meat and mutton, Institute Deputy Director-General Khalifa Hussein told The Ethiopian Herald.
Khalifa further highlighted that 60% of Ethiopian meat makes it way to UAE while 38% to Saudi Arabia and the remaining 2% to other Middle East countries. He noted that the country exports up to 50 tons of meat daily to the two countries.
For his part, Abebaw Mekonen, Secretary-General of the Ethiopian Meat Producers-Exporters Association, said tangible tasks are executed to meet meat market standards equipping the sector with modern laboratory, chilled storage, loading docks and transport as well as certified abattoirs.
He said: “We have managed to make almost all abattoirs across the country implement ISO 22000 food safety management system that helps them meet international standards.”
Consultation forums have also been carried out with suppliers to ensure quality of cattle apart from capacity building trainings offered to workers in abattoirs, Abebaw said.
Besides regulating the market, Abebaw said his Association works in concert with Association of cattle suppliers and the Institute to ensure sustainable meet export.
Ethiopia targets to secure over 150 million USD from meat export in the current budget year.
©Alleastafrica and The Ethiopian Herald
