Addis Ababa - Ethiopia loses over $100mn every year through the illicit trading of live animals, according to the ministry of agriculture and rural development.
An expert with the ministry said that illicit trade with neighbouring countries had lost the country over $100mn.
Belachew Hurisa said that over 323 800 oxen and cows, more than 1.1 million goats, over 150 000 sheep, at least 16 000 camels and over 300 000 hides and skin have been illegally traded annually across the Somalia, Kenya, Djibouti and Sudan borders.
Hurisa said that Ethiopia has more than 41 million oxen and cows, over 50 million sheep and goats, and more than 2.6 million camels, which could potentially supply over 500 000 tonnes of meat annually. However, illicit trade meant that less that 100 000 tonnes was supplied to the market.
The expert said 141 707 live animals and various animal products were exported to Saudi Arabia, Kenya, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Egypt, DRC and South Africa, earning the country $40mn.
Hurisa concluded that this potential revenue would continue to be lost to the country because neighbouring countries were drawing substantial benefits from the illicit trade. He said basic infrastructure needed to be developed, licenses needed to be issued in a transparent manner, individual investment encouraged, and integrated efforts exerted in order to deal with the problem.