Ethiopian Shipping and Logistics (ESL) has started exporting live animals from a new quarantine facility in Mille, Afar Region. The company has transported the first 7,000 sheep from Mille Quarantine Center to Djibouti Port using 28 trucks.

The facility has been certified by Saudi Arabia, which allows ESL to export live animals directly from Mille to Djibouti without having to go through Djibouti's quarantine system. This will boost Ethiopia's export revenues and reduce livestock smuggling since 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.

The new quarantine facility is well-managed and meets the certification standards of importing countries. It allows for livestock health screening in accordance with Saudi import regulations before export. This will help to combat illegal animal trade and contribute to the development of the livestock sector in Ethiopia's economy.

Source: Fana BC