Eastern Cape farmers will be exporting thousands of sheep to Kuwait and Oman in the coming weeks.
On Monday March 16, Eastern Cape Rural development and Agriarian reform MEC Nomakhosazana Meth is set to visit Berlin farm (Al Mawashi handling facility), a feedlot kraaling 63000 sheep from the Eastern Cape farmers to be exported to Kuwait and Oman.
MEC spokesperson Ayongezwa Lungisa Spokesperson said the province of the Eastern Cape has a high number of livestock, particularly cattle, sheep and goats exceeding any other province in South Africa.
He said the burgeoning number of livestock in the province has not always manifested economic benefits to the province’s farmers, particularly black and emerging farmers.
“The export of this livestock presents an economic opportunity for the farmers of the Eastern Cape Province, and thus, the Eastern Cape provincial government’s full support of the livestock trading industry,” said Lungisa.
In a space of six months, the provincial government working with private sector and the farmers from the province will on Wednesday, 18 March 2020 be reaching 133 000 of sheep exported to Mauritius, Kuwait and Oman.
“The live export trade of sheep and cattle in South Africa is legal and protected by the Animal Protection Act of 1962. Veterinarians are currently concluding the inspection of the head to be exported and the MEC has stressed that animal handling to assess fitness to travel should be above reproach,” said Lungisa.
