Livestock Systems

Moving further towards formalised sheep and goat value chains in Pakistan and Ethiopia through business-oriented breeder and producer groups

Pakistan-Animals-grazing
An illustrated map showing Ethiopia and Pakistan

Research need

This project aims to support emerging opportunities for semi-formal and formal trade and marketing of goats in Pakistan and Ethiopia by mobilising complementary findings from the International Centre for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas and ACIAR-funded research in Africa and Asia.

Smallholder families dominate SR production in Ethiopia and Pakistan, and small ruminants are very important to consumers and farmers. As well as being highly valued for routine domestic consumption, goats and sheep are sacrificed at Eid al-Adha, a significant annual observance for Muslims globally. The demand for small ruminant meat and milk is also growing globally due to population increases, rising incomes and urbanisation. This creates an opportunity to expand and commercialise small ruminant production, generating income for producers and employment for value chain actors, particularly women and youth.

The project aims to build on successful pilots of community-based breeding programs and other innovations in north and east Africa and Middle East countries. These initiatives have shown measurable genetic gains and inclusive socioeconomic benefits, and the project seeks to apply and test these solutions more widely. This project will also build on 8 years of ACIAR-funded research in other countries and regions, which identified key issues affecting trade and market access and small ruminant production efficiencies, regardless of geographical context.

Activities

  • Build on existing community-based organisations in Pakistan to improve local genetics through community-based breeding programs in mixed farming and pastoral systems.
  • Deliver a functioning model through the breeding cooperatives that enables farmers to commercialise their animal production, access information and receive technical support as well as improved genetics in Pakistan and Ethiopia.
  • Deliver an inclusive model to support breeding cooperatives to access capital and microfinance from both public and private organisations in Pakistan and Ethiopia.
  • Establish market linkages of breeder cooperatives and sheep/ goat fatteners for live-markets and exports and with urban and peri urban markets supported by digital platforms to ensure the year-round sale of goats.

Outcomes

  • Improved genetics through implementing a community-based breeding program to improve the genetics of goats, leading to increased productivity and better-quality animals.
  • Enhanced health services, focused on flock health, to reduce kid mortality and improve overall animal health. Better animal feeds with a priority on the development of low-cost feeds based on locally available resources.
  • Improving market information, digital marketing, and collective action to address market inefficiencies and poor market linkages.
  • Capacity-building at different levels, particularly focusing on women's involvement and strengthening extension services.
  • Income generated for producers and employment for other value chain actors, particularly women and youth, through the commercialisation of small ruminant production.
  • Promoting the adoption of simple, low-cost interventions that have been proven to be effective in improving small ruminant production.
  • These interventions will be accessible to women and will be delivered through participatory, action learning approaches.

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