Valuation of cattle attributes in the Malian humid and sub-humid zones and implications for sustainable management of endemic ruminant livestock

The preservation for future use of endemic ruminant livestock (ERL) depends on how these breeds are perceived by smallholders in relation to their Sahelian counterparts with a larger frame. These indigenous livestock breeds have unique genetic traits that are important to smallholders’ livelihood. In Mali, the dwindling number of purebred Ndama cattle, a breed known for its tolerance to trypanosomosis, is cause for concern to many stakeholders. Markets are the institutions through which the appropriate incentives to rear endemic ruminant livestock are identified. A revealed preference approach was conceptualized and applied to data collected on observed transactions in randomly selected cattle markets in the Malian humid and sub-humid zones. The results indicate that the body condition, the agroecological origin, and the category of the transacted animal are the three most important attributes. The importance of Body Condition illustrated by the high premium rates paid for excellent body condition combined with the relatively low discount rates for the Ndama and Crossbred breed confirms that if all maintenance costs are accounted for, Ndama cattle with excellent body condition could be as profitable as Zebu. The findings have production, marketing, and animal genetic resource management implications. The results would enable Ndama producers and traders to make more informed production and marketing decisions because they would be better informed about how the attributes of cattle they put on the market are rewarded or penalized. More importantly, while crossbreeding may lead to higher prices, selection within the breed and fattening are the best avenues that could lead to better prospects for Ndama producers. They lead to better prices while protecting the breed for future use

Analyse de la chaîne de valeur du matériel génétique bovin laitier au Sénégal

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finlan

Financial costs of disease burden, morbidity and mortality from priority livestock diseases in Nigeria: Disease burden and cost-benefit analysis of targeted interventions

Nigeria’s agriculture sector generates one-third of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs two-thirds of the workforce. Its recent growth dominates Nigerian non-oil economic growth. Small-scale, semi-commercial farms, settled agricultural households and transhumant pastoralists dominate production. Livestock is the second largest agricultural sub-sector and features 16.43 million cattle, 34.69 million sheep, 55.15 million goats, 7.18 million pigs and 183.16 million poultry. These provide nutrition and food security, and a range of services including draught power for cropping activities. Poor animal productivity is widely attributed to the occurrence and endemicity of certain animal diseases. These are often unreported, unconfirmed or poorly documented. The financial losses associated with such outbreaks and costs associated with the disease burden are also rarely documented. Efforts at control of such animal diseases have yielded poor returns due to ineffective or absent control programs, insufficient inputs (such as vaccines), poor vaccination coverage due to limited vaccine supplies and constraints in field mobility and support funds, illiteracy of farmers and poor management systems. In preparation for the World Bank’s Integrated Animal and Human Health Management project for Nigeria, estimates of the economic and financial implications of high disease burden, morbidity and mortality and the costs of implementing various interventions, for all or a combination of priority diseases were required. The Government of Nigeria invited ILRI to provide such estimates for priority diseases: NCD in rural poultry flocks; PPR in sheep and goats; CBPP in cattle; ASF in pigs; and trypanosomosis in ruminants and pigs. For these diseases, and across agroecological zones, the study’s objectives were to: • assess the direct and indirect financial burden of inaction; • estimate the costs of targeted interventions; • determine the additional benefits, additional costs and net benefits associated with interventions; • evaluate of the benefit-cost ratios (BCRs) of targeted interventions; and • make recommendations on the feasibility of the targeted interventions. The study featured epidemiology and economic components. Spreadsheet-based economic modelling was effectively combined with participatory epidemiological fieldwork and analysis, and both national and international specialists contributed. Both primary and secondary data were obtained, and stakeholder consultations and expert interviews were conducted. An extensive literature review was compiled

Demand for livestock products in developing countries with a focus on quality and safety attributes: Evidence from Asia and Africa

Rising developing country demand for livestock products propelled by income and population growth, and by urbanization offers poverty reduction opportunities to actors in the supply chain. The increase in volumes demanded also features diversification and increased demand for quality attributes. Reliable food safety and information on animal husbandry and geographic origin have long been recognized as value-adding differentiation mechanisms in the developed world. Anecdotal accounts suggest that this is also the case in developing countries. However, little consistent rigorously researched evidence has been published on this subject. This report presents results based on case studies conducted in a number of developing countries in Asia and Africa—Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Tunisia, and Vietnam. An overview of the theoretically consistent methods used and a synthesis of the results obtained in the various case studies are presented first followed by the case studies each describing a study of specific commodities in specific developing country locations. A consistent set of results emerges, wherein consumers exhibit willingness to pay for quality and safety in animal-origin foods, and within which this willingness to pay is strongest amongst the wealthy and the urban dwellers. However, the intricacy and variety of quality definition and measurement are demonstrated fully, as they occur between and within countries, commodity groups and other settings. The key message from the results is the evidence that quality and safety considerations in products of animal origin food provide commercial opportunities for developing country producers, market actors and industry participants