The performance of the livestock subsector and of agriculture in general in sub-Saharan Africa has been poor over the past two decades, and is getting worse. Output of livestock products has grown only slowly, exports and per caput consumption have declined and imports have risen, at a time when sub-Saharan Africa can ill afford such trends. Table 1.1 provides performance data on the livestock subsector by region of sub-Saharan Africa for the years 1975-87.
Table 1.1. The performance of Africa's livestock subsector by region, 1975-87: Annual change (%).
|
Performance indicator |
Sub-Saharan Africa |
West Africa |
Central Africa |
East Africa |
Southern Africa | |
|
Total output (q) |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Beef |
1.5 |
2.7 |
2.7 |
0.9 |
0.2 |
|
|
All meat |
2.5 |
3.9 |
1.7 |
1.8 |
1.3 |
|
Cow milk (q) |
3.1 |
1.5 |
1.3 |
3.7 |
3.0 | |
|
Per caput consumption (q) |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Beef |
-0.9 |
-0.2 |
1.6 |
-1.9 |
-0.8 |
|
|
All meat |
-0.4 |
0.7 |
0.4 |
-1.1 |
-0.4 |
|
|
Dairy products |
0.2 |
-1.5 |
1.5 |
1.2 |
0.1 |
|
Imports (v) |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Beef |
-0.4 |
-0.5 |
-1.4 |
1.1 |
0.2 |
|
|
All meat |
-0.5 |
-0.5 |
-1.4 |
1.2 |
0.2 |
|
|
Dairy products |
3.9 |
1.2 |
7.3 |
12.1 |
4.9 |
|
Exports (v) |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Beef |
- |
- |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
All meat |
-4.6 |
-22.2 |
-45.1 |
-14.3 |
-2.7 |
Source: ILCA (1993).
q = quantity; v = value.
The causes of this poor performance are complex, and differ from country to country. In general, four conditions are essential for satisfactory progress in the livestock subsector:
· adequate resources, both physical (land, labour, good weather) and financial
· new technology to improve productivity
· suitable institutions (for research, extension, marketing, credit etc)
· appropriate policies, both in the economy as a whole and in the livestock subsector.
All or nearly all of these conditions have remained unfulfilled in most countries of sub-Saharan Africa over the past two decades. This makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly how important a contributory factor poor policies have been. Nevertheless, there is some evidence. A 1982 study of 30 livestock projects in sub-Saharan Africa financed by a major donor over the previous 15 years revealed that for more than 75% of the projects, policy issues external to them had been major factors leading to poor performance. In addition, two arguments may be adduced:
· Policy issues and approaches tend to be very similar in the livestock subsector to those in other agricultural subsectors (food and cash crops). There is now a substantial body of evidence to show that policies have been a major determinant of progress or the lack of it in these other subsectors; it seems highly probable that the same will be true for livestock.· An internal review by ILCA of the published evidence throughout the world on the factors determining progress in livestock production indicated the very large influence of economic factors such as prices (which are heavily influenced by policy) in comparison with technology or other factors. What is true of the world in general is probably also true of Africa.
In short, inappropriate policies have not been the only cause of poor performance, but they have been an important one.
