The Saudi Ministry of Agriculture has issued a decision lifting the temporary ban imposed on the import of sheep, cows and camels from Eritrea. The decision stipulates that the exported livestock from Eritrea should be subject to conditions and procedures of the quarantine in Kahtalai (Eritrea). The procedures include attaching authenticated certificates by the Eritrean veterinary authorities, keeping the exported livestock at the quarantine for a period of 30 days, marking livestock by the quarantine including the number of the animal and the date of its entry for quarantine, examining animals to make sure that they are free from the disease of the rift valley fever or any other epidemic or infectious diseases, vaccination of the animals on the 7th day of their entry for quarantine against the Rift Valley Fever by the vaccine called Smith Burm which is used in the Kingdom. Moreover the procedures also include the transportation of the animals by clean transportation channels. The decision pointed out that the livestock exported to the Kingdom from Eritrea will be subject to all quarantine procedures in line with the system of the quarantine law carried out by the GCC member states and under its executive statutes. Moreover, random samples will be taken from the animals for examination to get sure of their immunity level from vaccination against the rift valley fever. The Ministry of Agriculture said the period of quarantine at the quarantine of Kahtalia before the export of the animals will be reduced from 30 days to 10 days during the Haj season of this year. The animals will be vaccinated on their first day at the quarantine against the Rift Valley Fever by Smith Burm, the Ministry of Agriculture further said. The Eritrean economy is largely based on agriculture, which employs 80 percent of the population but currently may contribute as little as 12 percent to GDP. Agricultural exports include cotton, fruits and vegetables, hides, and meat, but farmers are largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture, and growth in this and other sectors is hampered by lack of a dependable water supply. Worker remittances and other private transfers from abroad currently contribute about 32 percent of GDP.
