Action Plan for the development of livestock - CAADP

More documents

Recommendations

Info

3. Constraints to increasedlivestock production andproductivity 1variety of constraints hinders livestock productionA and productivity and must be addressed if substantialgrowth is to be achieved for the sub-sector. Theseconstraints fall under three main categories: (i) technicalconstraints; (ii) policy and institutional constraints; and(iii) specific agro-ecological zone related constraints asindicated in the CAADP companion document:of which translates to poor returns for the livestockkeeper. It is therefore critical to implement simple,sustainable health improvement measures targeted tothis particular group – the young.Animal diseases also have an important impact onhuman health, 60 % of human diseases being of animalorigin. The One World One health approach, which hasbeen developed by the international community in therecent years in the context of influenza pandemics, hasbeen adopted as the global framework for streamliningthis collaboration.3.1Technical constraints3.1.3Animal genetics3.1.1Feed supplyFeed supply is often insufficient both in quantity andquality depending on the regions. In the drier regions,the quantity of forage is often insufficient for thenumbers of livestock carried, and the availability of feedsubjected to pronounced seasonal patterns. In wetterregions, the problem is more of a qualitative than of aquantitative nature; forages often being of poor quality,with low energy and protein contents. Agricultureand agro-industry by-products are still quite underutilizeddespite their huge potential, mainly becausethe unavailability of technologies to use by-productsas animal feed. Enhancement or improvements in feedavailability and supply will translate into better healthof livestock in general which in turn will improveproductivity.3.1.2Animal healthAnimal diseases continue to deter livestock productivityand agricultural development. It has been estimated thatin SSA animal diseases result in annual losses in excess ofUS$ 4 billion, which represent about one fourth of thetotal value of animal production. The impact of animaldiseases stems from direct losses due to mortality andits indirect effects through slow growth, low fertilityand decreased work output that result from morbidity.Diseases with the highest impact on poor livestockkeepers in SSA are ecto- and endo-parasites, respiratorycomplexes, Newcastle disease, Highly PathogenicAvian Influenza (HPAI), Trypanosomiasis, ContagiousBovine Pleuro-Pneumonia (CBPP), Rift Valley Fever(RVF), and tick-borne diseases such as Heartwaterand Theileriosis. Most livestock diseases have moredevastating effects on young animals in which agegroup the highest mortality rates are recorded. Thosewhich manage to recover experience severe growthproblems which hinder longer term productivity, all1 Companion Document: Comprehensive Africa Agriculture DevelopmentProgramme: Integrating livestock, forestry and fisheries sub-sectors intothe CAADPLow genetic potential is a major constraint especiallywhen milk production is concerned. The introductionand use of imported stock in breed substitution andcrossbreeding programmes with the aim of achievinga more rapid increase in milk and meat productivity,has not always yielded the expected results. In SSAcountries, indigenous breeds are often more diseaseresistant, heat tolerant and have the ability to efficientlyutilize poor quality feed. Therefore, genetic sourcesof resistance or tolerance to diseases and pests, andadaptation to harsh climates need both to be preservedand combined with the capacity to generate highermeat and/or milk outputs.3.2Policy and institutional constraintsThe livestock sub-sector has in the past been subjectedto unfavourable government policies, through incentivepolicies biased towards urban consumers and excessiveregulation and unfair public sector competition. Theproportion of public funding dedicated to the Livestocksector is far below its contribution to national GDP inmost African countries. In addition, the sub-sector hasalso suffered from weak institutional settings and hencesub-optimal implementation capacities of policies,regulations and standards.3.2.1Bias towards urban consumersAfrican governments have often given priorityconsiderations to supplying urban consumers withcheap agricultural products, including imported meatand milk, for political reasons, and in order to maintaina relative social peace in urban areas. The resultingeconomic distortions have contributed to depressinglocal production and caused inefficient use of scarcehuman and financial resources. Prices have been keptlow in several ways, including through exchange ratepolicies, import policies, and direct price controls.2 | Framework for Mainstreaming Livestock in the CAADP Pillars
3.2.2Excessive regulationsanitary mandate for disease control).African governments have often been involved,through parastatal agencies, in production, processingand marketing activities. Such involvements haveoften stifled private entrepreneurship throughexcessive regulation and monopolistic behaviour ofthe public sector. Such practices have been, however,progressively abandoned since the 1990s, as parastatalagencies were dismantled and an active private sectorstarted emerging in many African countries.3.2.3Institutional constraintsOver the past decades, National Agricultural ResearchSystems (NARS) have increasingly been experiencingbudgetary constraints. They are not generating sufficientnew technology to promote agricultural and livestockdevelopment, and links with extension services arelimited. Budgetary and institutional constraints hamperthe provision of effective extension services. Nationalextension services have been dismantled understructural adjustment programmes and have been/arestill, more responsive to government bureaucracies thanto the needs of the farmers. There are often difficultiesin delivering integrated crop-livestock extensionprogrammes to mixed crop-livestock farmers becauseextension agents are located in different ministriesand report to different administrative entities. Public,government-operated veterinary services have showntheir limitations in providing the comprehensive animalhealth services needed for livestock development,mostly because of issues related to under-funding. Thishas led to weak implementation of programmes fordisease surveillance and vaccine production, and controlmeasures for endemic diseases are inadequate. Theweak implementation capacities of many governmentlivestock services in Africa have been compoundedby decentralisation of veterinary services in a numberof countries without adequate provision for the coordinationof the control of major infectious diseases.While privatisation of veterinary services has beenconsidered as an option, it would need to be adaptedto the varying realities and specific needs of differentcountries. Because the private sector is profit-oriented,it is clear that only selected services can be efficientlyprivatised. Governments would remain responsiblefor “strictly public good” activities such as nationalresearch and extension, legislation and policies,disease surveillance, public health, vaccine production,transboundary animal diseases, livestock movementcontrol and quality control of livestock inputs andproducts. The involvement of the private sector inensuring these core functions, when it is foreseeable,should be strictly controlled by the governmentthrough Public Private Partnership frameworks (e.g.3.2.4Marketing and processingIn most SSA countries livestock production isconstrained by market access, both for inputs andoutputs, being mainly restricted to local and informalmarkets. Access to the larger national, regional andinternational markets is limited because of poorinfrastructure and increasing technical requirements.The absence of functioning marketing facilities andconservation and processing infrastructure is a majorconstraint to livestock sector development. Thisscenario is especially unfortunate in the case of theprocessing infrastructure – which a lack thereof limitsvalue addition to livestock products and opens up awhole range of employment possibilities and economicincentives along the processing chain to market.3.2.5Policy formulation and planningIn addition to the above, weak policy instrumentsoften limit livestock departments, sector planning andimplementation capacities, resulting from inadequatehuman resources, the lack of accurate and detailedstatistical information, and poor negotiating powers.Furthermore, although technological problemsare relatively well understood, there is a lack ofinstitutional capacity to apply appropriate solutionsbecause institutional linkages between researchinstitutions, extension services and veterinary servicesare extremely weak in many instances, resulting inpoor design and delivery of programmes.3.2.6Livestock in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers(PRSPs)The PRSP model although originally conceived inthe context of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries(HIPC) debt relief initiative, is now the centrepiece forpolicy dialogue in all countries receiving concessionallending flows from the World Bank and the IMF. Thisoutlines the policy directions and resource allocationframework for IMF and bank lending in countrieseligible for concessional assistance 2 . It is important toemphasize that many countries depend on livestock to aconsiderable extent, an extent which is hardly reflectedin their PRSPs documents. It is clear that agriculture isnot a good proxy for livestock. This weak considerationin PRSP and in key policy documents given to Livestocksector has lead to weak consideration into investmentoperations. Therefore, the development of livestockPRSP will improve poverty reduction focus in nationalPRSP and/or investment operations would improve2 Roger Blench, Robert Chapman and Tom Slaymaker: 2003. A studyof the role of livestock in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers. PPLPIworking Paper No 1. FAOFramework for Mainstreaming Livestock in the CAADP Pillars | 3
Page 1 and 2: AFRICAN UNIONINTERAFRICAN BUREAU FO
Page 3: Framework forMainstreaming Livestoc
Page 7: 1. BackgroundIn order to foster foc
Page 11 and 12: 4. Trends, Drivers, Challengesand O
Page 15 and 16: pastoral people need assured rights
Page 17 and 18: e)f)g)h)i)At national and regional
Page 19 and 20: c)d)e)f)g)• Develop livestock pol
Page 22: African Union - Interafrican Bureau

Action Plan for the development of livestock - CAADP

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?