A consignment of 30,000 live sheep arrived in Bahrain yesterday (May 25) to meet an anticipated surge in demand during Ramadan, which starts next month.

They will be examined and transported to the Bahrain Livestock Company (BLC) in Sitra, which already has around 12,000 sheep in stock, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

BLC chairman Ebrahim Zainal said another 30,000 Australian sheep would arrive in Bahrain during the first week of next month, followed by two more consignments of 30,000 sheep each during Ramadan.

He added the company would also import chilled mutton from Sudan, Pakistan and Australia by air, as well as chilled beef by air from Pakistan.

Meat from the animals will continue to be sold at the subsidised rate of BD1 ($2.6) for mutton and BD1.2 for beef. Meat subsidies are set to be axed on August 1.

Zainal said the central slaughterhouse was preparing to increase the number of livestock slaughtered daily from 1,500 on regular days to 2,000 daily during Ramadan. - TradeArabia News Service