SAUDI OKs SA BEEF

THE Saudi minister of water and agriculture said on Sunday a ban on beef imports from Africa imposed 17 years ago do not include imports from South Africa. Minister Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz bin Muammar told journalists onthe sidelines of a farming exhibit in Saudi Arabia that Riyadh hs “rectified” a situation which arose after the kingdom banned the import of beef from other African states due to a pneumonic plague. A London-based Saudi-owned newspaper in August reported that the kingdom had banned the import of beef from South Africa because of concerns over “mad cow disease” despite assurances from South Africa that its beef was safe.