Questions & Answers

Looked around and didn't find too many examples, this Ifad resource might be helpful however: See here

Some of our African countries have considerable livestock resources. Because our economies are largely agrarian, livestock make important mainstay of even urban livelihood where usually other kinds of employment are supposed to be means of income. This can be invigorated to yield even more by careful strategies that can maximize values from animal resources. While urban dairy development can be planned to effectively become part of the national employment creation agenda, proper harvesting, collection, curing and timely delivery to up-stream processing facilities like tanneries of hides and skins can have multiplier effects in value creation and industrial development.

Along this line in Ethiopia, particularly in Addis Ababa, the USAID funded Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Program is supporting the city administration's urban agriculture bureau in two fronts. The first one strives to establish micro abattoirs to replace the traditional backyard slaughtering of animals common all over the continent which not only exposes the harvest to irreparable damages but also entails serious health hazards. The second front is to organize collection of row hides and skins into shaded centers whereby the stocks are piled under ventilated shades and delivered to facilities that can process them before they putrefy. The results of these two exercises are not only cleaner meat and higher quality of row hides and skins for the leather industry but also creation of employment to thousands of people including women and marginalized members of communities.

In Bauchi state of Nigeria, the New Nigerian Foundation (NNF) had a project on crop - livestock competitiveness. They facilitated the establishment of 3o cooperative associations and 6 clusters unions to mobilize all stakeholders in crop and livestock production in order to optimize their roles in the crop - livestock commodity chain. It also promoted a new initiative which encourages movement away from the conventional exclusive dependence on an extensive system of livestock rising, to a more intensive one that promotes fixed - place ranching for increased cattle production and more efficient cattle marketing. Crop and livestock farmers also had their capacities built through series of training and workshops on cattle fattening, breeding, rearing, health maintenance, meat processing and meat products, preparation of supplementary feeds, crop production and marketing.

The value chain of cattle business was identified and the programme supported farmers in the fattening of their cows using residue of crops. This is to attract higher prices in the market.

Mohammed Bello Dantoro

Great insight can be found from the discussion of The twelth Brussels Development Briefing held on 1st July 2009 which focus on the thème:“The Role of Livestock for ACP countries: challenges and opportunities ahead”. The Briefing brought together key livestock experts organised in two panels:

Panel 1 – The role of livestock for ACP economies and the drivers of change
This session reviewed the key role that livestock play in most of ACP countries in terms of livelihoods, economic development, human nutrition and rural poverty alleviation. It will also identify emerging challenges such as the recent trends on livestock food demand, the accelerated (re)emergence of diseases affecting animals and humans, the climate change impact and the challenges to meet market quality requirements.

Panel 2 – Future policy challenges and opportunities for the ACP livestock sector
Given the rapidly growing demand for animal products and the important contribution of livestock to the ACP economies, what public and donor’s support is needed (investment and favorable policies) to stimulate regional trade in animal products? How can the livestock sector become an effective driving force in strengthening the regional market in animal products? What are the conditions under which ACP exporters can access EU and international markets? How to strengthen the complementarities between commercial and small-scale production?

Check the presentations of experts including a succint presentation of lessons from the lifestock sectors in Namibia and in SADC here.

Ibrahim

I did a simple google search, it came up with what may be useful resources from across the world. If this link doesn't work, please do the following exactly as done here including the brackets:www.google.com then "local economic development" "cattle"

Hope this helps, good luck. Gwen Swinburn LED Adviser

LED strategies can be applied to livestock. You need to find out through research if your LGA has comparative advantage and if it is competitive in live stock production.
There is a project which was implemented by New Nigeria Foundation (NNF) in Bauchi State, Nigeria ( a neighbouring state to yours)from 204-2006 known as Bauchi Crop-Livestock Competitiveness Project. I learnt it was a successful project. You may contact NNF (Prof.Femi Ajibola) or check their website www.nnfng.org for further information on this. The project information can be found under the INTEGRATED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (Agricultural Competitiveness Programme (ACP))
As a Local Economic Development(LED) practitioner I am very excited seeing this type of request coming from our National ALGON Chairman. This confirms my beleive that there is hope for economic development at the grassroot in Nigeria.
I am working as a consultant with the GTZ EoPSD (Employment-oriented Private Sector Development Programme in Niger and Nasarawa states, Nigeria, facilitating LED and public private dialogue at the LGC
Margaret Joshua (LED Coordinator GTZ-EoPSD, Abuja, Nigeria)