Agriculture Ministry ‘fully prepared’ for Eid Al Adha — spokesperson

AMMAN — The Agriculture Ministry has finalised preparations for Eid Al Adha, a ministry official said on Monday, adding that a sufficient supply of livestock will be available to sacrifice during the Muslim feast.

Goats, sheep, camels or cows are sacrificed as a ritual during Eid Al Adha, the feast of sacrifice marking the end of the pilgrimage season, and the meat is distributed to those in need. 

Some 200,000 local animals are available and 300,000 have been imported, mostly from Romania and Australia, the ministry’s spokesperson, Nimer Haddadin, told The Jordan Times, adding that the imported livestock meets Jordanian health specifications and the religious standards for sacrifice.  

The quantity of livestock available is enough to meet local demand for Eid Al Adha, during which half-a-million animals are expected to be sacrificed, the ministry official said, noting that the holiday would boost the livestock trade. 

Haddadin denied reports that exports had been halted for two months.

“Exports did not stop at all. We still export 2,500 sheep every day,” he said.

Saudi Arabia is the top importer of Jordanian sheep, and Kuwait and Bahrain started importing Jordan’s livestock for the first time this year, he noted. 

The ministry does not interfere in pricing, and costs are determined by supply and demand, according to Haddadin, who urged customers not to rush to buy livestock ahead of Eid. 

Local sheep cost between JD180 and JD220, while Romanian sheep sell for JD150 to JD250, according to Muawiah Jabiri, a livestock trader and butcher.

Live Australian sheep are not available to buy for sacrificial purposes, and can only be purchased from slaughterhouses, Jabiri told The Jordan Times. 

Prices are much lower than last year, when a local sheep cost up to JD400 and locally produced lamb cost between JD10-13 per kilogramme, the trader said. 

Customers should wait until Eid Al Adha to purchase animals for sacrifice, as merchants will lower prices towards the end of the holiday, he suggested. 

In Madaba, some 30km southwest of Amman, livestock breeders held a sit-in on Monday, calling on the government to suspend the import of livestock until it is needed, and to lower the price of barley and reduce the taxes on cattle exports, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.