Livestock largest subsector of Sudan economy

Livestock is by value the largest subsector of Sudan’s domestic economy, larger even than petroleum. The national economy is based on a combination of pastoral and agropastoral livestock production by farming and herding households in almost every region and state, and most of the households depend to some degree on livestock mobility. These findings have been published by the Feinstein International Center of Tufts University in a Working Paper The economics of pastoral livestock production and its contribution to the wider economy of Sudan as part of its research project “Pastoralism, Trade and Markets in Sudan” funded by UKaid (DFID). The project aims to promote understanding of pastoralists’ livelihoods systems among local, national and international stakeholders and to strengthen the capacity of pastoralist leaders, organisations and other advocates to articulate the rationale for pastoralism. Project partners include UNEP Sudan, SOS Sahel Sudan, Darfur Development and Reconstruction Agency, Nomads Development Council and IIED (International Institute of the Environment and Development). The Working Paper is meant to inform subsequent policy briefs, research studies and policy training events. After reviewing the contribution of livestock and pastoralism to the Sudanese economy, the paper discusses several key national government policies on taxation and trade that affect the economic welfare of pastoralists. Finally, it reviews the impact of current economic trends on pastoral production systems, focusing on the effect of increased commercialisation on herd-management practices and on the distribution of wealth in pastoral communities. The main points are also summarised in a briefing paper The economics of pastoral livestock production in Sudan.

Posted on 9 July 2012 in News, Pastoralism & Marketing, Value of Pastoralism