Fiji exports latest batch of sheep to Samoa

 Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture has organized the latest shipment of Fiji-bred sheep to its Pacific neighbor Samoa, the Fijian government said Monday.
Bred at a privately owned multiplication sheep center in the northern Fijian island of Vanua Levu, the latest sheep development "demonstrates years of attempt by the government to get this project running", said the Department of Information.
Tomasi Tunabuna, director for animal health and production of the Ministry of Agriculture, said this is the first of its kind to export 100 breeding female sheep from the multiplication center ever since its set-up six years ago.
Another 10 sheep, male, from a research station of the Ministry of Agriculture, have also been exported, he said.
The 110 sheep were sent on the request from the Samoan government to the Fijian government, Tunabuna said, adding that the sheep were carefully quarantined before departing for Samoa.
Fiji had exported sheep to its Pacific neighbors in the past.
"In 2004, we managed to export 40 breeding ewes (female sheep) and four rams (male sheep) to Samoa while in 2005 we were able to ship four breeding rams and 40 breeding ewes to the Kingdom of Tonga," said Tunabuna.