This document provides an overview of meat processing in Africa. It finds that while demand for meat is rising, domestic production is not meeting demand and Africa relies heavily on imports. Constraints to domestic meat production are multi-dimensional, involving issues with infrastructure, policy, trade regulations, and demand. The document analyzes case studies on beef exports in Southern Africa, regional livestock trade in West Africa, and poultry development policies in countries like Ethiopia, Tanzania, Mozambique and Ghana. It finds some success with beef exports but questions the scalability. It also highlights the many challenges facing development of the livestock sector in Africa, including animal health, low productivity, lack of processing facilities and market linkages.

1. Director/Professor
Oklahoma State University
An overview of meat processing in Africa
Karl M. Rich*
* On behalf of OSU author team: K.M. Rich, K.A. Schaefer, B. Thapa, A.D. Hagerman, H.E. Shear

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Key takeaways
• Data constraints – a major challenge for pan-Africa comparisons
• Demand for meat products in Africa is rising, but predominately satisfied by
imports rather than domestic production
• Some success stories exist on trade (mainly beef in Southern Africa) but very
context-specific and scaling success not necessarily assured
• Domestic meat production constraints are multi-dimensional – a complex nexus
of infrastructure, policy, trade, regulatory, and demand-side issues

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Approach
• Secondary data analysis
• Relevant case studies
• Synthesis of emerging trends, issues, and recommendations

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Case studies
• Beef exports from Southern Africa
• Regional trade of live animals and meat in West Africa
• Policy support and development in livestock (Ethiopia & Tanzania)
• Poultry sector development (Mozambique & Ghana)

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Beef trade case studies (1)
• Beef exports from Namibia & Botswana – a guarded success story
• Drivers: preferential trade arrangements, domestic support policies in EU,
domestic investments in biosecurity
• (Potentially negative) impacts on competitiveness
• (Potentially negative) impacts on equity & environment
• Important niches but questions on scalability

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Beef trade case studies (2)
• Regional trade of live animals in West Africa – long-standing networks through
transhumance networks across the Sahel to coastal markets
• Emerging interest in adding/capturing value to livestock amongst Sahelian
countries by investments in local abattoirs (with donor funding)
• Limited competitiveness of proposed abattoirs vs. imports: cuts perspective
(rather than carcass) critical
• Potential to raise tensions given existing value chain organization

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Review of livestock policies (Ethiopia &
Tanzania)
• Both countries have rising demand for livestock and some level of comparative
advantage given herd sizes, but a multitude of structural and institutional
constraints that impede large-scale meat production
• Examples: feed, equipment, animal health, low productivity, slaughter processes, lack of market
linkages, compliance with SPS, etc.
• Livestock Master Plans (LMPs), a means to identify intervention and investment
options, initiated in both countries with support from ILRI and donors
• In Ethiopia, LMPs have led to large World Bank loans targeting livestock
• Many policy reforms promulgated/enacted, but implementation still a challenge.

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Poultry sector case studies (Mozambique &
Ghana)
• Small-scale orientation in production, but interest in both countries to develop
more commercialized broiler production
• Imports a major challenge – trade policy supports provision inputs, but protects
output markets
• Challenges include lack of quality feed, animal health constraints (including
access to vaccines), limited marketing linkages, and limited scale, all of which
raise costs relative to imports

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Policy issues & challenges
• Coordinated investments needed at value chain level – nodal-specific interventions are not
enough
• Animal health constraints are legion – critical role of investments in biosecurity and
veterinary services to raise productivity and facilitate exports
• Role of Livestock Master Plans to support policy planning and (more critically)
implementation
• Cost-saving measures essential to raise competitiveness – short/medium-run targets on
import substitution rather than trying to compete on export markets
• Reaching scale – how can smallholders participate?

12. THANK YOU