Whether it's from Ethiopia or Sudan, the controversy over imported beef is getting meatier, writes Gamal Nkrumah An enterprising Egyptian businessman, Sherif Hammouda, flew to Ethiopia a few weeks before last month's Eid Al-Adha festivities to clinch a big deal. Hammouda wanted to flood the Egyptian market with Ethiopian meat over the holiday, and make a major killing in the process. The Egyptian and Ethiopian governments looked favourably upon the deal, seeing it as a gateway towards enhanced trade relations. The prospect of low-cost Ethiopian meat also gripped the public's imagination. Thanks to Hammouda's efforts, the first batch of Ethiopian livestock left the port of Djibouti for Suez just before the eid. Unfortunately, red tape, bureaucracy, and logistical problems prevented the meat's arrival until after the holiday was through. The debacle stirred much consternation; the press in particular was highly critical of the government, and especially Supply Minister Hassan Khedr. A number of opposition papers held him personally responsible for the fiasco. Al-Wafd urged Khedr to resign. In the meantime, the government was also desperately trying to make more meat available for the festive season. Overall, Egypt imported some 70,000 Australian and 40,000 Ethiopian sheep for Eid Al-Adha. Sheep from Romania and Moldavia were also brought in. Most of the hope was being pinned on the Ethiopian livestock, which was supposed to be sold at the very reasonable price of LE11.5 a kilo. Two flights packed with some 36,000 tonnes of freshly slaughtered Ethiopian beef left Addis Ababa for Cairo a few days before eid ; another 1,500 head of cattle and 7,000 sheep were set to come through Suez. Most of it arrived after the eid was over. To make matters worse, the affordable Ethiopian meat also quickly sold out. It appeared to be a nasty repeat of the Sudanese meat scenario that took place just a few months ago -- during Ramadan. In both cases, major announcements had been made in the press. The reality -- long queues at government coops, and not much meat to be had -- was far less impressive. Each time, the general public and the press ended up accusing the government, and especially the ministries concerned, of incompetence and foul play. The ministries countered that unscrupulous businessmen created the mess. "Expectations were running very high. We learn from experience. This deal was our very first with Egypt. It was a purely private affair. Governments were not involved. We now know that the best deals in such situations are private- public partnerships. Government input is needed," Ethiopia's Ambassador to Egypt Amare Girma told Al-Ahram Weekly. "Both the Egyptian and Ethiopian governments are taking corrective measures," Girma said, and would not be leaving the business entirely in the hands of private business. With more cattle by far than any other African country, Girma said, Ethiopia traditionally exports livestock rather than packaged meat. There are some 41 million cattle in Ethiopia, 25 million sheep, 23.5 million goats and 2.5 million camels. Ethiopian cattle typically graze on grass, and Ethiopia's geographical proximity to Egypt makes Ethiopian beef an attractive alternative to meat imports from countries further away. Of particularly high quality meat is the borana cattle from the country's southern and southeastern regions. Grass-fed Ethiopian beef, like the Sudanese variety, is widely regarded as safer and more nutritious than beef imported from other countries. Ethiopian cattle are not given growth- enhancing hormones or animal bi-products, nor are they fed on anti-biotics and hormonal implants. The Ethiopian meat industry is monopolised by a number of companies including: Al-Forah, which is owned by Saudi-Ethiopian magnate Sheikh Mohamed Al-Amoudi; Hashim meat processing and packaging company; and Luna. Ethiopia has already been supplying Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries with vast amounts of livestock and packaged meat. Having contacted those firms, Egyptian officials said they were now ready to better facilitate the importation of Ethiopian meat. That green light meant the agriculture and supply ministries dispatched veterinary teams to inspect the beef's quality and ensure top safety measures. The beef was scrupulously inspected and rated according to World Health Organisation standards and specifications for animal health. The animal health inspectors examined the Ethiopian abattoirs where the beef was being slaughtered, and also looked into the possibility of investing in abattoirs across Ethiopia to develop the meat packaging industry. With Egyptian beef insufficient to cover the country's insatiable taste for meat, meat and livestock are now imported in ever-increasing amounts. The public and the press, however, have grown wary of the way the meat is being imported and distributed to retail outlets. If Egyptian policy-makers are looking for kudos for their efforts to expand the nature and scope of that importation process, the recent Ethiopian meat experience has made it clear that they still have a long way to go.
