Critical issues impacting livestock trade in Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan

This paper constitutes the second and final part of the livestock marketing status audit carried out in Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan under the auspices of the CAPE unit of Oau-IBAR. The recommendations that appear with each issue discussed in the main document have not been included here. As discussed in the first volume, Sudan is ahead of both Ethiopia and Kenya in terms of its organizational set up and its volume of live animal exports. To some extent this could be attributed to Sudan's long tradition of exporting live animals to the Gulf. It also reflects the relentless effort made by the Ministry of Animal Resources in setting up a relatively efficient quarantine system and in conducting successful negotiations with existing the potential livestock importing countries. Sudan's success in getting the Saudi Arabia ban lifted even before Syria and Jordan is a testimony to this effort. Ethiopia's export potential has been limited to chilled/frozen meat as the ban on live animals is still effective (though Yemen has lifted the ban recently on certain conditions).In any case, Ethiopia's land locked status will always hinder it from attaining its maximum export potential as it had to rely on ports belonging to other countries. The Rift Valley Fever ban is still effective on Kenya. Nevertheless, Kenya has not been active in live animals or chilled meat exports even before the ban. Its exports have been limited mainly to about 1,500 tone of pork products per year and small quantities of beef now and then. The issues discussed here focus on critical internal information gapinadequate provision of animal health services and facilities the current status of ranches and feedlotsinstitutional issues (Government agencies and Trade Associations)issues related to the domestic livestock trade and the export market and on the existing information gap on external markets.