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With the exception of Africa, the livestock sub-sector in developing countries is one of the most dynamic in the word growing at well over 7 percent per year and far outperforming virtually all agricultural and industrial commodities. This ‘livestock revolution’ so far is by-passing Africa, a continent with large livestock and animal feed resources. The project target countries (Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan) are exemplary: they hold nearly half of the number of ruminants in sub Saharan Africa but, per capita consumption of livestock products is well below the world average and livestock growth and productivity have not kept pace with human population growth. Only Sudan manages to export animals to e.g. the relatively close Gulf countries, the world’s largest market for live animals. Africa as a whole holds up to 20% of the world’s ruminant resources but accounts for only less than 3% of total value of world trade in animals and animal products. This situation has led to increased import-dependence, at an annual cost of at least US$ 700 million.
Africa though is on the move, livestock issues are vehemently put back on Africa’s agenda. Livestock are being recognized as essential assets for livelihood, as key to move out of poverty, a way to lucrative markets and a source of foreign exchange. Simple facts have rekindled this need to care about the livestock sector: agriculture is Africa’s largest economic sector and livestock provides 36% of agricultural GDP. 70% of rural poor keep livestock and 200 million people rely on livestock for their livelihood. The African Union (AU) and AU’s African-inspired and African-led New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) flagship conceptual framework, ‘Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP)’, focus on livestock for trade and export. The World Bank with the World Animal Health Organization (OIE) and FAO’s Animal Health Division, supported by major donors (EU, USA, France) support this initiative by e.g. the African Livestock platform (Alive) which is linked to and echoed by the OIE-FAO ‘Global Framework for Transboundary Animal Disease Program’. The EU is funding major projects in this area through the European Development Fund.
The disease status of African countries plays the key barrier for theoretical trade possibilities. Animal health standards imposed by importing countries for international, regional or bi-lateral trade, and through the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) agreement must be met. Twelve of the 15 most important transboundary animal diseases (TADs) persist in Africa. High mortality due to these diseases leads to annual losses in the order of US$ 2 billion, indirect losses are in the same order of magnitude and control costs of TAD's escalate due to increasingly stringent regulation to meet export standards. Countries lack knowledge, skills and capacity of modern regulations and standards to essentially rectify this situation. Required disease control under SPS, entailing new standards, regulations and technologies, can and is not covered by conventional veterinary training. This specialist area of its own has to be addressed by specialized postgraduate training.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 12 December 2008 06:31 )
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