ABU DHABI, UAE – The Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (ADAFSA) has announced the launch of the first permanent livestock auction market in Abu Dhabi to help breeders market their animals, develop the livestock sector and promote self-sufficiency.
During a press conference, ADAFSA announced that the first auction will take place next to Al Wathba Slaughterhouse, in collaboration with the Advanced Scientific Group (ASG) on November 27 with the presidential camel Zakat and the second auction will take place on November 28 to bid on camel calves from Bada Thalab livestock farm.
Another auction is scheduled on November 29-30.
Other auctions will be organized regularly to enable livestock breeders directly sell their camels to the public, thus promoting efforts to develop the sector in Abu Dhabi.
Director-General of ADAFSA Saeed Al Bahri Alameri said, “Under the generous sponsorship of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, we are launching the first livestock auction market in the emirate with the aim of enabling breeders to directly sell their animals to customers and providing appropriate numbers of local animals which contributes to supporting the biosecurity system and the livestock sector.”
Alameri said that the permanent livestock auction market will serve as a destination for those interested in buying camels, cattle and rare animals.
He added the auction market helps meet the market needs of local meat and other animal products.
Executive Director of ADAFSA’s Animal Wealth Sector Rashid Al Rasas Al Mansouri said that ADAFSA was keen on providing all capabilities to ensure the success of the livestock auction market.
“The auction features 31 barns that can accommodate up to 100 baby camels, 40 camels, 200 sheep and goats. With an outdoor space and parking for about 154 cars, the auction market can also accommodate over 250 people,” Al Mansouri said.
“The auction further includes service facilities, restaurants, shops selling fodder, farm supplies and other entertainment venues for auctioneers,” he said.
Al Mansouri said that establishing such facilities for breeders increases the competitiveness of local livestock production and encourages breeders to improve animal production, thus protecting and developing livestock.
CEO of ASG Khalifa Abdullah bin Thani Al Nuaimi said, “We are proud of our collaboration with ADAFSA. We are grateful for the confidence of ADAFSA’s leadership in our ability to organize the first auction in Abu Dhabi’s livestock auction market.”
He said, “The ASG will work on achieving the auction’s desired goals and managing it in the best possible way, to promote the protection and development of the emirate’s livestock.”
Al Nuaimi added that ASG has a wide range of high-quality professionals specialized in areas of camel breeding and livestock marketing.
He said that the camels to be sold in the first auction are pure-bred and strong, while camel calves are less than one year old.