Livestock and Fisheries Minister says imposed travel bans across the globe have affected the implementation of Goat exports to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking in an interview with Money FM News, Nkandu Luo said the ministry will have to wait until COVID-19 is contained and travel bans are lifted for preparations of the export deal to resume.
Professor Luo said the deal has so far reached the stage where officials from Saudi Arabia have to come back in the Country and inspect the state of abattoirs.
“COVID-19 is affecting every sector of the economy, we are at a stage where officials from Saudi Arabia have to come back in the Country and inspect the state of abattoirs,” She explained.
“The officials where in the country earlier and they are certain issues they raised with us that we have dealt with, so they were to come back and once they clear and say they are satisfied with the conditions of the abattoir, because we will be exporting not as live animals but as carcasses”
She further said activities around Goat export will resume as soon as COVID-19 the epidemic stabilizes and all things are back to normal, people are able to travel, and travel bans are lifted.
“It goes without saying definitely COVID-19 is not only affecting the export of Goats but everything in the country,” She said.
In 2016, the Governments of Zambia and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding for Zambia to export 1 million goats annually to that country.