Everywhere in Tete, goats abound ,even near Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric substation goats are there grazing and skipping around...

Agriculture and Food Security authorities in Tete have accused the European Union (EU) of blocking the export of the province’s goat meat to the European market by imposing excessive requirements. According to the Director of Agriculture and Food Security Américo Conceição, EU member countries require, for example, that animals are not only vaccinated against foot and mouth disease, but also that they have never had it. "They also demand that the animals are fed only grass and never animal feed or synthetic foods," said Conceição, cited by the ‘Diário de Mozambique’. The most obvious, added Conceição, was that the production surplus was to be exported, for example to Europe, as is the case in many African countries in general and Southern African in particular, especially Botswana, but that cannot be due to EU requirements. "Potential buyers of Tete goat meat even want to interfere with the slaughter, processing and transportation, which in Conceição's opinion is not sustainable. "No producer is able to meet the European demands fully," he said. "The result is that many goat farmers and even cattle farmers in Tete remain poor, given that their prices are not competitive. Even large-scale producers and those processing the meat with modern means complain about the lack of a market capable of giving profits able to outweigh the investment," he added. Conceição was speaking to the press in Ricatla, Marracuene district at the 51st Maputo International Fair (FACIM), which ended on Sunday. Tete province is known throughout Mozambique for its goat meat, which is consumed across the country. Farmers nevertheless have surplus to export.