GAM announces 12 locations for slaughtering, selling sheep

AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) announced on Wednesday 12 locations across the capital for selling and slaughtering sheep ahead of Eid Al Adha, according to a municipal official.

In the meantime, the Ministry of Agriculture expects the prices  of local and imported sheep to remain around their average, indicating that the country has double the amount of sheep expected to be sacrificed during Eid Al Adha (the Muslim feast of sacrifice which marks the end of the pilgrimage season) available.

The municipality carried out a field survey throughout its districts before designating the locations for selling and slaughtering the sheep, according to GAM Executive Director of Districts Emad Dmour.

“The sites were selected after taking into consideration their distance from residential areas, ease of access, the environmental, health and public safety requirements, as well as the availability of parking spaces,” Dmour highlighted.

In addition to monitoring the sanitary conditions of traders and livestock owners who try to sell their products, designating specific sites for selling and slaughtering sheep for Eid Al Adha also helps prevent random selling and slaughtering, according to GAM.

In Eid Al Adha, Muslims of sufficient means are required to sacrifice livestock in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail to God.

This year, Eid Al Adha is expected to fall throughout the first week of September.

Abundant numbers of sheep are available in the local market, Ministry of Agriculture spokesperson Nimer Haddadin said.

“There is some 650,000 heads of local and imported sheep in the local market, which is double the number of sheep sacrificed during Eid Al Adha every year,” Haddadin  stated.

An average number of 300,000-350,000 head of sheep are sacrificed each year during Eid Al Adha, he indicated.

“The fact that the local market has double the amount of local needs will positively reflect on prices,” Haddadin underlined.

He noted that around 90 per cent of the imported sheep in the local market come from Romania.

The ministry has been warning the public against slaughtering livestock in the streets or private backyards during Eid Al Adha, in order to prevent the spread of disease-transmitting insects.

He added that the slaughter of sheep should only be carried out at municipal slaughterhouses and locations designated by authorities for the sale and slaughter of sheep and livestock.