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people in the country. It serves as a means of employment, a source of income, a
source of nutritious food (meat, milk, eggs etc.), and a source of vital inputs for crop
production (draught power, manure, and cash income for the purchase of various
inputs). Animals, especially equine and camels, serve as very important means of
transport in rural areas. Manure from animals is also used to improve soil fertility
for crop production, and dried dung and biogas is used as a source of fuel for rural
communities. In addition, livestock plays important social functions and is also a
means of saving and security.
Livestock production also makes significant contributions to the national economy, contributing about 16–19% of the overall gross domestic product (GDP) and
about 45% of the agricultural GDP (Behnke 2010). Livestock products also contribute to the export earnings of the country and as sources of industrial raw materials.
Livestock production also enables the utilization of over 60% of the land surface (the
rangelands), which cannot be effectively utilized otherwise. In addition, in mixed
crop-livestock production systems, integration of livestock production into the system enables the use of over 50% of the plant biomass (crop residues), which cannot
be directly used by humans, to convert them into highly valuable products and
increase the resource utilization efficiency of the overall system (Tolera et al. 2012).
In Ethiopia, there is a potential for expansion of crossbred dairy cattle production
in cooler highlands and for stratified beef production, in which breeding and stocker
animals are raised in pastoral areas, and finisher animals are fed in feedlots in the
highlands. The demand for livestock products is increasing from time to time, both
in the domestic and export markets. Moreover, there is increased interest in promoting intensive and market-oriented livestock production as a means of livelihood,
income source, and economic growth. Intensification and market orientation of livestock production demand increased supply of high-quality feed.
In recent years, the Ethiopian Government has given special attention and consideration to the development of export-oriented meat industry. This value-addition
strategy primarily focuses on supporting livestock producers, particularly pastoral
communities, through creating market linkages to the feedlots and processing industries, job creation, saving hides and skins which are the major foreign currency generators as compared to any livestock products. In addition, Ethiopia enjoys proximity
to high demand meat markets in the Middle East and North African countries, which
has attracted investments in export abattoirs both by nationals and foreign companies.
However, despite the huge livestock resource potential, engagement of a good
number of companies in the industry, proximity to strategic markets, and supportive
Government policy environment, the export of meat remained very low. The project
known as Ethiopia Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards and Livestock and Meat
Marketing (SPS-LMM) Program was designed and implemented by the Norman
Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture of Texas A&M University in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and other public and private sector
actors as an intervention strategy to develop the export meat industry. The project
had two broad objectives of improving the capacity of Ethiopian veterinary service
to undertake SPS and related activities in support of increased livestock and meat
export and enhancing Ethiopia’s competitive advantage for meat and livestock
A. Tolera and L. O. Eik
people in the country. It serves as a means of employment, a source of income, a
source of nutritious food (meat, milk, eggs etc.), and a source of vital inputs for crop
production (draught power, manure, and cash income for the purchase of various
inputs). Animals, especially equine and camels, serve as very important means of
transport in rural areas. Manure from animals is also used to improve soil fertility
for crop production, and dried dung and biogas is used as a source of fuel for rural
communities. In addition, livestock plays important social functions and is also a
means of saving and security.
Livestock production also makes significant contributions to the national economy, contributing about 16–19% of the overall gross domestic product (GDP) and
about 45% of the agricultural GDP (Behnke 2010). Livestock products also contribute to the export earnings of the country and as sources of industrial raw materials.
Livestock production also enables the utilization of over 60% of the land surface (the
rangelands), which cannot be effectively utilized otherwise. In addition, in mixed
crop-livestock production systems, integration of livestock production into the system enables the use of over 50% of the plant biomass (crop residues), which cannot
be directly used by humans, to convert them into highly valuable products and
increase the resource utilization efficiency of the overall system (Tolera et al. 2012).
In Ethiopia, there is a potential for expansion of crossbred dairy cattle production
in cooler highlands and for stratified beef production, in which breeding and stocker
animals are raised in pastoral areas, and finisher animals are fed in feedlots in the
highlands. The demand for livestock products is increasing from time to time, both
in the domestic and export markets. Moreover, there is increased interest in promoting intensive and market-oriented livestock production as a means of livelihood,
income source, and economic growth. Intensification and market orientation of livestock production demand increased supply of high-quality feed.
In recent years, the Ethiopian Government has given special attention and consideration to the development of export-oriented meat industry. This value-addition
strategy primarily focuses on supporting livestock producers, particularly pastoral
communities, through creating market linkages to the feedlots and processing industries, job creation, saving hides and skins which are the major foreign currency generators as compared to any livestock products. In addition, Ethiopia enjoys proximity
to high demand meat markets in the Middle East and North African countries, which
has attracted investments in export abattoirs both by nationals and foreign companies.
However, despite the huge livestock resource potential, engagement of a good
number of companies in the industry, proximity to strategic markets, and supportive
Government policy environment, the export of meat remained very low. The project
known as Ethiopia Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards and Livestock and Meat
Marketing (SPS-LMM) Program was designed and implemented by the Norman
Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture of Texas A&M University in partnership with the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture and other public and private sector
actors as an intervention strategy to develop the export meat industry. The project
had two broad objectives of improving the capacity of Ethiopian veterinary service
to undertake SPS and related activities in support of increased livestock and meat
export and enhancing Ethiopia’s competitive advantage for meat and livestock
A. Tolera and L. O. Eik