(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
DOHA: Widam Food Company has started selling subsidised sacrificial sheep at slaughterhouses run by it in Al Khor, Al Shamal and Al Mazroua.
The sale will continue until the second day of Eid Al-Adha (September 13).
This year, the Ministry of Economy and Commerce has imported 12,500 sheep from Jordan and they will be sold at QR1,100 each to citizens.
The initiative is being undertaken for the seventh year in collaboration with Widam Company and beneficiaries, whose age should not be less than 18 years, must show their original Qatari IDs at sale points. Only one sheep will be given to a customer, the Ministry said in a press release yesterday.
Australian sheep, which will be available to all customers at a price of QR350 plus QR10 as slaughter fee, can be submitted for slaughter only at the automated abattoir at the central market.
Sale coupons will be available at all selling outlets and customers need to show their receipts at the automated abattoir for slaughter.
Limiting the distribution of Australian sheep to one abattoir is to reduce crowd, said the company, as it expects high demand and rush during the Eid days.
The capacity of the automated abattoir is very high — up to 180 sacrifice per hour — and this will help meet the expected demand, said Widam. Work at the abattoir will start after Eid prayers and continue until 5pm on the first day of Eid and during the rest of Eid days, it will operate from 5am until 5pm. The third day of Eid will be allocated for charities to receive their sacrifices.
The MEC said that its contract with Widam requires the company not to sell physically weak sheep or sheep not fitting Adha conditions in accordance with Shariah.
Widam has said it will monitor the sales outlets and abattoirs using a special team including veterinary doctors.
There will be a total of eight abattoirs serving the public, including the automated one.
The Peninsula