Market prices in Burao livestock market

Read story here: https://igadstvs.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/market-prices-in-burao-livestock-market/

Authors: Abdirahman Ismail, Anna Silverstone

The heart of Somali life rests in its livestock. Used for trade, dowries and livelihood, camels, sheep and goats are among our most valued possessions.

Comprising 80% of our GDP and involving almost all of the country either directly or indirectly, it is no exaggeration to say that livestock is as essential to Somaliland as we ourselves.

Arriving at Burao Livestock Market around 9:30 on a hot March morning, the team from ISTVS set out to uncover the exact price of livestock in the market as well as the market forces that drive fluctuation. Our targets were the buyers and producers themselves for the first hand information they could provide. Within the Burao market there are five main market players: the producers, the brokers, the small agents, the buyers for local consumption and the buyers for export.

While we only managed to talk to market brokers and small agents, all were highly forthcoming. According to their experience price fluctuations occur due to demand, supply and season, as well as slightly less obvious factors such as bad roads, weather and being interviewed on the price of their stock. As can be seen from the table below the price of small ruminants can vary by as much as $20 per animal for the export market, the difference becoming even greater when comparing Haj export prices to local consumption.

 

A market full of life: Burao livestock market, Burao, Somaliland.

Read story here: https://igadstvs.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/burao-livestockmarket/

Authors: Mohamed Abdilatif, Muse Awale, Abdirizak Kayd, Ali Kanu, Nahla Abass

Some of the shades and actors in the market

From far it looks plain and disorderly, but at a closer look and brief interaction with the different actors, the story is different. It is a tale of thousands of people who flock to the livestock market daily to making a living. Being one of the largest livestock markets in the Somali eco-system and probably the largest in Somaliland, Burao livestock market is full of life.

It is an open market that brings together thousands of people daily, from various backgrounds.

The market does not only serve the actors in the value chain, such as producers, traders, middlemen and the tax collectors. It is also a source of livelihood for hundreds of people, which can be referred to as sub actors, they include, dozens of restaurateurs, milk sellers, tea sellers, miraa (khat) sellers, kiosks, animal transporters and loaders etc.

The main market serves goats and sheep trade only, the cattle and camel market is some distance from the main livestock market. Whereas there are no official figures on the daily transactions, it is thought that hundreds of thousands of dollars (can be millions of dollars during the high seasons) change hands daily. In the market two groups of livestock are sold, one group for local consumption and another for export. In that regard the market contributes immensely to the local economy.

In a nutshell, there are so many people who flock to the market for a good reason. Some sell animals, some buy, others buy and resell. It looks so simple from outside, but in reality it is a market that is full of life, every day the market serves thousands of people and the majority of them are not the main actors.

The following is a systematic flow of the market cycle:

A lady buyer looking at sheep and goats with intention of buying

The lady buyer checking the body condition of a goat

Shoats being loaded on the truck

Shoats en route to Berbera after going through the process of buying and selling, branding and loading

 

Giving back to the community – Healthy sheep and goats in Somaliland

Read story here: https://igadstvs.wordpress.com/2015/06/11/somaliland-smallruminants/

Small ruminant respiratory diseases and diarrhea have been problems among the goat keeping pastoralists in Somaliland and especially in Sheikh District. Pastoral types of farming expose pastoralist livelihoods when animals move in search of fresh pastures and water and they, the animals, are exposed to Viral, Bacterial and parasitic diseases.  In some cases, 25% of the animals died of these diseases.

To tackle these problems, pastoralist in Sheikh district asked the ISTVS (IGAD Sheikh Technical Veterinary School) for help. The school mobilized its students and staff to work with them.

After examining the sick animals, the animals were treated with Tylovet (Tylosin) and Ivermectin and farmers were advised to undertake preventive measures to cut disease management costs and the spread of the disease. These were:

• Separate the sick animals from the healthy animals and avoid mixing the animals with those of different owners. This reduces the spread of the disease.
• Keep the sick animals around the house to avoid respiratory distress which happens when the animals move.
• Give the animals enough feed and water to get improved the body condition and raise the immunity of the sheep and goats.
• Report progress of the treatment after seven days to ISTVS.

Results and feedback

The treatment worked and no further disease occurrences were reported. Some 80 animals were treated by the students at a total cost to the farmer of around 8 USD for the drugs only.

Feedback from the community was very positive.

To avoid this happening again, the farmers called on the government to support this type of community service provided by ISTVS which strengthens the extension work of the students.