Uganda's agricultural sector gets boost with first beef export to Saudi Arabia 

Pearl Meat Industries, a Ugandan abattoir located in Migyera, Nakasongola District, successfully exported 5,000 kilograms of beef, goat meat, and mutton to Saudi Arabia via Qatar Airways on Monday, November 4, 2024. 
This milestone marks the first time in 25 years that Uganda has exported beef to Saudi Arabia.

"After 25 years, we are dispatching the first shipment of beef from Uganda to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia," said Mr Justus Karuhanga, Director of Pearl Meat Industries, during the dispatch ceremony at Entebbe International Airport. "We are proud that Pearl Meat Industries is the first factory in Uganda certified for this purpose."

The company has overcome significant hurdles to achieve this feat. "There was a ban that has been subsisting for 25 years for beef and mutton from Uganda because there was no certified factory that could meet the standards," Karuhanga explained.

He noted that Pearl Meat Industries is poised to capitalise on this new market opportunity. 
"We shall be having a weekly shipment to Saudi Arabia, and we are optimistic that the market will continue growing," Karuhanga stated.

The company is also exploring other markets in the Middle East. "On Saturday, we are sending another batch to Kuwait. We have been sending to Bahrain and Egypt." 

However, Karuhanga noted challenges in finding quality bulls for export due to competition with other countries. 
"Our appeal now is to beef farmers to start feedlotting because it standardizes and gives us quality beef for export," he urged.

Mr Idris Ali Elgadhi, Managing Director of Pearl Meat Industries, expressed hopes for daily shipments to Saudi Arabia, citing Uganda's high-quality organic meat. 
"Our quality of meat is high compared to other countries. It is organic meat," he said.

Mr Wail Dagash, CEO of Jet Fresh Cargo, which handles transportation for Pearl Meat Industries, highlighted the challenges of transporting chilled meat. 
"The way that the meat is stacked calls for precautions like using dry ice to ensure that during transportation, the product remains at the right temperature," he explained.

Uganda Civil Aviation Authority's Manager of Public Affairs, Vianney Luggya, congratulated stakeholders on this achievement. 
"This is a great opportunity for Ugandan farmers to take advantage of... We are likely to have even more exports, which is good for the economy."

With weekly shipments to Saudi Arabia planned, Pearl Meat Industries is paving the way for Uganda's beef export industry.

"This is a great opportunity for Uganda to increase its exports and improve its economy," Karuhanga said.