RASC News Agency: Reports from western provinces of Afghanistan indicate that there is a concerning trend of livestock smuggling to neighboring countries and the United Arab Emirates. Local sources in Herat province, speaking on the condition of anonymity, informed RASC reporters on Friday, November 17, that between 100 and 500 livestock heads from this region are being smuggled within a 24-hour period. These sources revealed that smugglers transport various types of livestock, such as sheep and goats, using large trailer trucks during the night, and then transfer them to neighboring countries. Additionally, it was disclosed that the price of livestock, particularly sheep meat, has been increasing significantly in comparison to other types of meat in Herat province, making it unaffordable for the local population.
According to Ahmad Rahimi, a resident of Farah province, the price of sheep meat in local markets ranges from 250 to 500 kabuli rupees per kilogram and continues to rise. He highlighted the efforts made by smugglers to profit from Afghanistan’s livestock by selling them at inflated prices in neighboring countries and beyond, thus reducing the availability within Afghanistan. Qayoom Rahmati, a civil activist in Ghor province, drew attention to the organized nature of livestock smuggling, comparing it to the open human trafficking that existed in previous regimes. He explained that smugglers, in collaboration with international counterparts, acquire Afghanistan livestock at low prices and then sell them to customer countries at exorbitant rates. Rahmati warned that without action from the Taliban, the price of sheep meat could reach one thousand kabuli rupees per kilogram.
Meanwhile, Habibullah, a shepherd from Badghis province, expressed his concern over the declining number of shepherds in the region. He attributed this decrease to people’s preference for a more relaxed lifestyle. Habibullah also noted that the sale of livestock, particularly sheep, increases during the Eid holidays, including both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. During these public holidays, the majority of livestock is sold, while the demand for the rest of the year remains relatively low.
Currently, sheep meat is priced at 400 kabuli rupees per kilogram in the markets of Badghis province, while goat meat is priced at 350 kabuli rupees and beef at 250 kabuli rupees. Habibullah cautioned that if the trend of livestock smuggling persists, the price of meat per kilogram could double or even exceed the current rates. These concerns are being voiced in western provinces of Afghanistan, where the authorities of the Taliban group have remained silent on this issue so far.
