Amman, Jun 15 (IANS): Jordanian Agriculture Minister Khalid Hneifat has announced that Saudi Arabia has officially decided to lift the ban on Jordanian livestock exports.

Hneifat noted that he values the response and direct cooperation from the Saudi side, which has a "positive" impact on the local sheep husbandry, according to a statement by the Ministry on Wednesday.

He stressed the Ministry's readiness to assist Jordanian sheep breeders in this regard, Xinhua news agency reported.

The ban-lifting decision came after Jordanian livestock quarantine and shipment safety procedures were deemed appropriate by a visiting Saudi Arabian technical inspection team.

Earlier this year, Saudi Arabia banned sheep imports from Jordan, on the ground that there were reports of a foot and mouth disease outbreak, a severe and highly contagious infection, among cattle in the Al Dhuleil and Al Hallabat districts in Jordan.

Jordan raises about one million head of sheep for export, of which more than half are usually exported to the Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia taking the largest proportion, according to a report by Jordan's Department of Statistics.