Qatar has reopened its market for goat and sheep meat from Tanzania, several months after suspending imports due to concerns over the presence of Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD).
Director of Livestock Services, Dr Benezeth Lutege, said on March 18, 2026 that the decision was communicated by Qatar on March 17 after the country was satisfied with the measures Tanzania had taken to control livestock diseases and strengthen inspection systems.
Qatar had closed the market on August 25, 2025 after receiving reports about the disease in Tanzania.
Dr Lutege said the government responded immediately after the suspension by explaining to Qatari authorities that the disease had only been detected in a small part of the country and that livestock exported to Qatar does not come from those areas.
He said Tanzania also assured the importing country that all export abattoirs meet the required international standards for processing meat destined for foreign markets.
The government has also implemented additional measures to strengthen livestock health management, including the construction of modern quarantine facilities and the rollout of the first phase of a nationwide livestock vaccination and identification campaign.
Dr Lutege said Qatar reopened the market after reviewing these measures and becoming satisfied with the country’s efforts to contain the disease and improve monitoring systems.
However, he noted that the reopening comes with conditions requiring that all meat consignments exported to Qatar must first be tested and certified by the Tanzania Veterinary Laboratory Agency (TVLA), which has been recognised as having the capacity and standards to conduct the required verification.
The reopening of the market is expected to boost Tanzania’s meat exports, as Qatar had previously been importing about 3,000 tonnes of goat and sheep meat annually from the country.
Officials say the move will also benefit livestock farmers, traders and processors by restoring access to an important international market while strengthening confidence in Tanzania’s livestock disease control systems and export quality standards.
