Livestock Study

Importance of the Livestock Sub-sector Agriculture GDP Value Total Exports Value non-oil Exports Employment

30% 20%

Livestock to Agriculture % 30% 15%

>50% 29%

11%

Main Dimensions ➔

Structure of the sub-sector

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Constraints and opportunities for enhanced efficiency

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Policy options for improvement.

Main Issues • • • • •

Production Performance Feed and Feeding Capacity Marketing and Pricing policies Trade Support Services

Production Performance Population 000 heads Sheep Cattle

Goats

Av. 1975-80 7645

687

1011

1990 14508

787

1000

1998 15424

971

1101

Output

Sheep

Cattle Goats Poultry

000 tons/liters 1989 1998 Meat 113 154 Milk 438 582 (33%) Meat 18 43 Milk 777 1119 (62%) Meat 6.2 5.9 Milk 60 79 Egg 1378 2228 (million) (doubled) Meat 49 97

Yield Milk Cows’ milk in kilogram/animal 1980-89 1989-98 Indigenous 797 781 breeds Crossbred 2165 2424 Management Breed

Meat

Increase due to Population Increase Potentials for Improving Yield • Intensive Feeding • Improved Feed Conversion

Demand and Supply for livestock products Per capita consumption (kg/person) 1985 1998 Beef 2.9 2.7 Mutton 9.6 9.6 Poultry meat 7.8 5.8 Milk 109 111

To meet demand production has to be intensified. This requires: • For Sheep: ➘ Increased level of supplementary feeding ➘ Better husbandry ➘ Improved reproduction performance ➘ Research and extension

• For Cattle: ➘ Use of genetically superior animals ➘ Increased stall feeding ➘ More integration with crop production

To meet demand production has to be intensified. This requires: For Poultry: ➘ Continue to intensify ➘ Develop and improve cold storage infrastructure.

Availability of high quality food is common denominator to all of the above.

Feed Sources and Consumption • • • • •

Natural Pasture (grazing) Concentrates Crop Residues Green Fodder Industrial Residues

Feed Deficit (Dry matter million tons per year) • 1.8 million tons (availability 8.9, requirements 10.7) • Estimates at 2010 (2.1 million ton)

Policy Action to Address Feed Deficit Al Badia recovery of loss in productivity : ➘ ➘ ➘ ➘

Identifying users boundaries Give users groups legal status Formulating binding usage regulations Community participation in range land management

➘ Formulate drought strategy with aim of encouraging greater self reliance to manage drought and difficult seasons.

Policy Action to Address Feed Deficit Crops and Crop Residues: ➘ Increased integration of livestock and crop production ➘ Adoption of proven feeding technology ➘ Increased support to livestock nutrition research ➘ Integrated farming system approach to feeding technology generation and spread.

Policy Action to Address Feed Deficit Feed and Fodder Marketing: ➘Withdrawal of public sector from the feed and fodder trade and trade liberalization. ➘Alternative approaches needed for government support to poor livestock producers.

Marketing and Trade ➘Improved livestock market information systems to increase competition and efficiency ➘Enforcement of hygiene and sanitary standards specially with expanded meat processing industry. ➘Conduct a study to appraise Syria’s competitiveness in live sheep trade to develop better long-term strategies for trade.