Улаанбаатар
3000-7000 horses exported to China each year
PoliticsUlaanbaatar /MONTSAME/ Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry has made a press statement about the incident in connection with the 800 horses starved and mutilated on the way to China, a violation to the ban of live horse exports between November and April. The Deputy Premier issued a direction on November 15 banning live exports of horses in wintertime.
The press briefing was attended by the Minister P.Sergelen, Vice Minister J.Saule, chairman of the General Authority for Specialized Inspection N.Tsagaankhuu and adviser to the Deputy PM A.Uilstuguldur, along with other related officials.
Minister P.Sergelen announced that the Ministry has decided to discontinue live horse exports for an uncertain period of time due to the recent violations to the Deputy PM’s direction on discontinuing the exports until April. He also stated that the Ministry tasked the affiliated agency to relocate the 800 horses seized at the Bichigt border checkpoint.
The officials also informed the Ministry’s intention on the meat exports is to stop the live exports in foreseeable future. “Exporting meat, satisfying the international standards, is an intention of the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry. Mongolia has sufficient capacity of meat processing factories. The ministry has been going after the cooperation with Russia and China in meat exports, presenting series of proposals. Experts from China are to visit Mongolia to inspect and certify Mongolian meat factories. Same has been done by the Russian experts last October. The Russian side is to submit the list of qualified meat factories of Mongolia for meat export to our northern neighbor”, say the ministry officials.
The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Live Export of Horses to the People's Republic of China in 2008. Since then, 3,000-7,000 horses have been exported each year.
