Livestock, Liberalization and Trade Negotiations in West Africa

Abstract

West Africa is shifting towards an increasing liberalization of agricultural markets. This trend will continue in line with current trade negotiations at the World Trade Organization (WTO) and between the European Union and African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of these negotiations on the livestock sector in the region. Livestock systems, in spite of their technical weakness, are strongly integrated with markets. Liberalization has had an important impact on national livestock sectors, especially dairying and poultry production. Imports of poultry meat increased, for example, from 500 to 17,000 tonnes between 1996 and 2002 in Senegal. Similar changes have been seen in Ghana and Ivory Coast. The dairy sector has had to compete with milk powder imports for years, but this competition seems to be limited by market segmentation, which explains the recent good prospects for local milk production. In addition, powdered milk production has had a significant role in the establishment of a local dairy industry. African countries should invest further in trade negotiations if they are to increase national capacities, eg via improvements in the negotiating power of administration services and the encouragement of national and regional research networks for market analysis.

Dairy Policy in Senegal: The Need to Overcome a Technical Mindset

“…The aim was to provide services on demand to herders and to the dairy processors, who would progressively assume the costs. Researchers attested to the profitability of dairy production at this time (Dieye and al., 2003) and eight mini-dairies processed 208 105 liters of local milk, a record quantity, in 2004 (Faye and al., 2005). Up to 2005, the Kolda dairy basin was considered a successful experiment based on the improvement of cattle feed through a combination of protein supplements (cottonseed) and local agricultural residues and natural pastures.…”

Development of livestock production in the tropics: farm and farmers’ perspectives

“…considered a major obstacle for poultry production development in Senegal, Ghana and the Ivory Coast (Dieye et al, 2007) even for production by peri-urban farms (Mahama et al, 2013). It should be stated that chains may also benefit from each other: The Indian National Dairy Development Board used gains made on reconstituted milk from imports of cheap milk powder to support local milk production by smallholders (Candler and Kumar, 1998), and feed required by peri-urban livestock farming systems may open a new market horizon for rural smallholders.…”

A Qualitative Analysis of the Commercial Broiler System, and the Links to Consumers' Nutrition and Health, and to Environmental Sustainability: A South African Case Study

“…Global power imbalances present additional barriers for South African government negotiators when attempting to meet trade objectives on food and nutrition security ( Greenberg et al, 2017 ). Nevertheless, there is evidence from elsewhere in Africa, that cheap broiler imports outcompete local production on price, eroding local production and the associated feed industries ( Dieye et al, 2007 ; Banson et al, 2015 ). Import surges also undermine local producer confidence to invest in business expansion ( Greenberg et al, 2017 ).…”