The Ministry of Agriculture has assigned a team from the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) to examine the quality of red meat in its country of origin, before it is brought into the Kingdom. It approved a list of countries where the meat will be examined. Jaber Al-Shihri, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture for Animal Resources, said the areas which have been allocated for the examination of the consignments of red meat will be announced later. He said the authorities in New Zealand have rejected a request by the Ministry of Agriculture for the export of live animals to the Kingdom. This is because laws in New Zealand do not allow for this. However, the authorities in New Zealand are still willing to export red meat to the Kingdom. Al-Shihri emphasized that the Kingdom will not allow entry of animals with diseases from any of the quarantine centers in Somalia, Djibouti and Sudan.
