ILRI research report: Constraints in the market chains for export of Sudanese sheep and sheep meat to the Middle East

Livestock exports are the second most important source of foreign exchange in Sudan after oil. The Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, has been the traditional export destination for Sudan’s livestock and livestock products.

However, while these Middle Eastern markets have a specific preference for mutton from Sudan's natural grass-fed sheep, competition from new markets like Australia, Brazil and New Zealand coupled with constraints within the supply chains for sheep and sheep meat have set Sudan's market share on a downward trend.

Research by ILRI and partners from Sudan's Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, and the University of Khartoum was carried out to characterize the nature of these market constraints.

The study findings are contained in a report titled Constraints in the market chains for export of Sudanese sheep and sheep meat to the Middle East.

Distant supply hinterlands, poor road networks, low market offtake rates, poor access to animal health facilities and deficient quality assurance systems were identified as the main market barriers.

The authors make several recommendations for improving the efficiency of the market chain and for future research. These include branding and promotion of Sudanese sheep and mutton; more rigorous application of animal/meat inspection and certification; and increased access to credit for livestock keepers.

Access the report

Citation
el Dirani OH, Jabbar MA and Babiker IB. 2009. Constraints in the market chains for export of sheep and sheep meat to the Middle East. Research Report No. 16. Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, the Sudan and ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya. 93 pp.

ILRI holds training seminar on livestock disease risk assessment in the Horn of Africa

Between 26 and 30 October 2009, some 30 participants attended a training seminar on livestock disease risk assessment in the Horn of Africa.The seminar was organized by the Market Opportunities Theme of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and held at ILRI’s headquarters in Nairobi.

The participants were drawn from Ethiopia, Eritrea and South Sudan and included representatives from the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the East African Community (EAC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA-APHIS) Cairo and USDA-APHIS Dakar.

The seminar was co-organized by ILRI, the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)/East Africa and the African Union–Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).

John McDermott, ILRI's deputy director of research, and Jeffrey Mariner, leader of ILRI's research team on animal health and food safety for trade, facilitated the training.