Iraq Beef

Facts about beef in Iraq

• Increased demand for meat in Iraq is highly related to religious celebrations e.g. the EID-Ramadan.
• In Iraq- as in the other countries of the Middle East- the slaughtering of animals and the consumption of their meat has- from time immemorial been used to mark a variety of occasions
• during the month of Ramadan when Muslims fast during daylight- the demand for meat in the countries of the Middle East actually triples.
• The countries of the Middle East- including Iraq- suffer from a shortfall in meat production- particularly with regard to red meat and to a lesser extent in the case of white meat
• In the case of Iraq the increased demand for meat coupled with its geographical location has resulted in a huge rise in the movement of animals- both legal and illegal- across its borders and this in turn has increased the risk of Trans boundary Animal Diseases (TADs) that kill animals and can pose a serious risk to human health.