DUBAI- Dr. Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment , MoCCAE, reviewed the procedures in place for receiving and testing inbound livestock consignments at Sharjah Airport and Hamriyah Port in Dubai.
The visits were part of a series of inspections of ports, livestock markets, and abattoirs in the UAE that the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, MoCCAE, conducts every year in the run-up to Eid al-Adha to confirm their readiness to meet the surge in demand ahead of the holiday.
Sultan Alwan, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Regions Sector at MoCCAE, accompanied Dr Al Nuaimi during the visits. In addition to verifying compliance of the facilities with the highest food safety and public health standards, the officials familiarised themselves with the most important challenges facing workers handling livestock consignments.
To guarantee that all livestock are free from contamination during the busy holiday season, and to prevent the spread of contagious diseases to people, the ministry has deployed higher numbers of veterinary quarantine doctors and veterinary laboratory technicians. It has also extended the working hours at border crossing laboratories during such periods to accommodate the increased number and volume of consignments, fast-track the examination process, and facilitate their safe release.
MoCCAE further stated that it ensures that the laboratories are well-equipped to deal with contingencies, and oversees the set-up of temporary satellite labs where needed.
Dr. Al Nuaimi said, "Food safety is a strategic goal for the ministry, therefore we conduct continuous monitoring of the veterinary quarantine centres and testing laboratories affiliated with the ministry, and develop their work processes in line with the latest international standards." The Minister reaffirmed MoCCAE’s keenness to enhance food security and sustainability through a multi-pronged approach, including establishing a wide variety of import channels, and efficient cooperation with global markets.
He noted that in the past three years, the UAE has witnessed a growth in the number of import markets for cattle, sheep, and camels that have now reached 24 countries.
During the visit to Sharjah Airport, Ali Salim Al Midfa, Chairman of Sharjah Airport Authority, joined Dr Al Nuaimi in meeting consignment owners and listening to their feedback on the consignment-handling processes at the airport.
Once consignments arrive in the country, veterinary teams at the ports of entry place inbound livestock in quarantine while validating the shipping documents, and running clinical and laboratory tests to ensure they are disease-free. "Consignments that fail the tests remain in quarantine for treatment or are returned to the country of origin," the ministry noted.
Based on the number of import permits released by border authorities, the local livestock market has received 461,228 inbound head of cattle in 2020.
© Copyright Emirates News Agency (WAM) 2020.
