Seminar presented to College of veterinary Medicine , Mekelle University.

1. 11/03/20161
REVIEW ON LIVESTOCKTRADE AND EXPORT IN
SOMALIA
BY
MOHAMED SAID ABDULLE
Seminar presentation , 10th March ,2016 ,
Mekelle ,Ethiopia

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
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Livestock Marketing and Export in Somalia by Mohamed
SaidAbdulle2
 Introduction andThe Background Information
 Objectives
 LivestockTrade in Somalia
 Challenges facing Somali livestock trade
 Conclusion and Recommendations

3. INTRODUCTION
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 Somalia Livestock : main source of livelihood and
Economy
 Accounts about 60% GDP and 85% of export
earnings( FAO,2012)
 Population of livestock : Estimated around 40
million (FAOSTAT,2015)
 Around half of the total livestock population is
found in Northern parts of the country (FSNAU,
2014)
 The main production system : Nomadic
pastoralism

4. INTRODUCTION CONT..
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The production system challenged by :
 limited feed availabilities
 Disasters: droughts ,cyclones , massive
deforestation of rangelands, poor veterinary
services.
 Traditionally oriented towards trade and
export
 Millions exported toArabian peninsula each year

5. OBJECTIVES:
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The paper aims to make review on livestock
trade and export in Somalia. Focusing on
 Export trends
 Characteristics of livestock trade
 Value chain analysis
 Certification and standardization
 Challenges Facing the livestock trade

6. Livestock Export Trend
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 1n 1950s there was a lucrative and growing
livestock market in Saudi Arabia
 Somali merchants emerge and dominate the trade
 in 1950s, 90 percent of exports went to Saudi
Arabia.
 Since than , the export volumes grow
 In 1970s the export went to its peak

7. Table 1: livestock Export Trend (1978-1989)
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Year Camel Cattle Sheep Goats
1978 21,000 74,000 739,000 715,000
1979 17,000 79,000 717,000 705,000
1980 17,000 94,000 745,000 736,000
1981 15,000 116,000 685,000 680,000
1982 15,000 157,000 730,000 719,000
1983 8,000 54,000 559,000 557,000
1984 4,000 8,000 339,000 337,000
1985 6,622 42,417 718,698 718,698
1986 8,770 55,768 579,342 579,341
1987 19,674 52,401 579,342 579,341
1988 10,513 26,551 200,858 203,128
Source: Elmi,1991

8. Livestock Export Trend cont…
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 Prior to civil war: livestock exported through
major three ports; Berbera ,Mogadishu and
Kismanyo
 After civil war : most of livestock handled in
Northern port of Bossaso and Berbera.
 Average 3-3.5 million heads exported per year(
FEWSNET,2010).
 Shoats : two thirds of total export
 Camel export increase since 2010

9. Fig 1: Trends of livestock export in Bossaso port (FSNAU,
2016)
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Livestock Marketing and Export in Somalia by Mohamed
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Livestock ban
Source: FSNAU,2016

10. Fig 2: Trends of livestock export in
Berbera port
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Livestock ban
Lift of the livestock ban
Source: FSNAU,2016

11. Livestock Export Trend cont…
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 The exports from Berbera and Bossaso have
increased relatively for the livestock six years.
 In 2014, both of the ports handle 5 million animals ,
which worth 360 million USD( FAO,2014)
Several improvements:
 Animal health interventions , vaccination programs
tackling PPR ,CCP ( in 2014, 12 million animals
vaccinated)
 Prophylactic treatment campaigns

12. Origins of livestock exports
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Three corridors and
transportation routes
 Berbera corridor
 Bossaso corridor
 Garisa corridor.

13. Somali livestock export markets
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 Entire Gulf countries,Yemen and Egypt
 Priority end markets : Saudi Arabia and the rest of Gulf.
Source: FAO,2015

14. Characteristics of Livestock trade
Livestock Markets
• places for transaction
of livestock for urban
consumer and export
• Terminal markets
mainly located far
from production areas
• Galkacyo, Burao
and Afmadaw
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15. Marketing system Before export
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Traditional Marketing System :
 used local markets , locally known as Seylad
System
 Characterized by complex networks of
intermediate brokers and multiple formal and
informal transactions
 Sold by pastorolists Collected in Smaller
markets larger markets shipped for
export

16. Marketing system Before export cont.
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Commercial Marketing System :
 Dominated by large exporters driven by profit
margins
 Company agents purchase livestock directly from
pastorolists in both Somalia and Ethiopia
 Sometimes form of barter trade happens , where
producers are given to Rice, Sugar andWheat

17. Livestock trade Value chains
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Important value chain actors :
Producers
(mainly pastorolists)
 Prices dictated by
market forces of
demand and
Supply
 prices for Export
quality animals
varies:
Cattle : $200-360
Shoats : $32-75
Camel: 350-900
Small scale(petty)traders
Brokers
(intermediate brokers)
Agents of Exporters
Exporters (link to Import
countries )

18. 11/03/201618

19. Seasonal variation of livestock exports in 2010 (Source: Majid, 2010)
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• Saudi Arabia is the main livestock market (70%)
• Consumer preferences in Somali livestock
• Black headed Somali Sheep have historical relationship with pilgrimage.
• 50% of livestock exported during Hajj season
Seasonality of livestock exports

20. CROSS BORDER LIVEESTOCK TRADE
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 Support about seventeen million people in the
Horn ofAfrica
 Mainly , informal ,unofficial and unrecorded
 Characterized by clan bases and kinships
 in 2011 ( FSNAU) reported 355,151 Shoats were
traded between Ethiopian –Somali border
 Mainly the cross-border trade is two routes :
 Between Somalia-Ethiopian border
 Between Somalia- Kenyan border

21. Indigenous Grading system
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 No formal standardization system in livestock
markets
 Traditional livestock grading system existed in
the market
 Undocumented
 Developed by merchants and traders
 Subject to different explanations at different
markets

22. Schematic diagram of Somali traditional livestock
grading system
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23. Livestock certification and Inspection
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 private quarantine facilities at Berbera and Bossaso.
 Holding capacity of 2 million animals
 Facilities : sheds, water and feed sources ,laboratories

24. Certification process:
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 Screened for zoonotic and economic diseases which
include FMD, RVF, PPR CCPP, CBPP, sheep pox, and
Brucella.
 Different requirements by different importing
countries
 Free diseased animals area vaccinated
 Diseased animals are rejected (average number of
rejected animals ,2% )
 Port veterinary office certifies the health animals
 Endorsed by chamber of commerce

25. Challenges for Livestock trade and Export
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Supply constrains :
 Recurrent droughts
 Unofficial border trade: restrictions for livestock
trekking
 Limited veterinary drug availabilities in the remote
areas and limited extension services
Institutional constrains :
 Animal health certification (SPS regulations)
 Export bans
 Informal grading system
 Underdeveloped financial sectors
 Poor market information flow

26. Challenges cont..
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Infrastructure Constrains :
 Poor livestock markets
 Poor loading facilities in the ports
 Lack of well equipped ships /poor vessels

27. Conclusion and Recommendations
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 Livestock remain the mainstay of Somalia and accounts more
than 40% of national GDP.
 Remain longstanding exporter despite many challenges
 Generally export volume has been increasing despite
intermittent bans
 There is seasonal variation of livestock export ,hajj is the
peak export season
 In 2014,5million livestock are exported(worth 360M USD)
,highest for 20 years
 The trade is challenged by multiple challenges : supply
,institutional and infrastructure constrains

28. Recommendations
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 Formalization of traditional grades and standards
 Improvements on livestock market information flow (LMIS)
 Investment opportunities like feedlot finishing and fattening
farms as well as fodder production
 Efforts is needed to conserve and protect the natural range
lands
 Improved livestock health certification
 Veterinary and market infrastructure should be improved