The African livestock sector is set for transformation with the creation of a new market platform designed to address challenges faced by pastoralist communities and unlock the immense potential of pastoral markets across the continent.
Pastoral communities are important to Africa’s economy and social fabric, especially in arid regions where livestock sustains livelihoods, upholds traditions, and supports local economies, making them essential to food security and rural resilience.
Despite their essential role, pastoralism encounters persistent obstacles such as limited market access, climate change, and policy gaps that have impeded its full potential.
The African Pastoral Markets Development (APMD) Platform, currently being validated by analysts and implementers, aims to strengthen the role of pastoralism in promoting inclusive economic growth, sustainable development, and improved livelihoods.
The African Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR), with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is spearheading the establishment and operationalization of the APMD platform.
AU-IBAR, a specialized technical office of the African Union Commission (AUC), operates under the Director, who reports to the AUC via the Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA).
According to AU-IBAR, this pan-African initiative seeks to promote market-driven, adaptive transformations in pastoralism and is key to advancing inclusive agricultural growth across Africa.
“The implementation of the APMD Platform will give us the opportunity to overcome these barriers. By fostering collaboration and embracing innovation, we can unlock new pathways for sustainable growth,” said AU-IBAR Director Dr. Huyam Salih in a speech delivered by Professor Ahmed Elbeltagy, the APMD Coordinator, in Naivasha, Kenya.
In October 2024, the APMD held a Pillar Technical Planning workshop with stakeholders from Kenya, Nigeria, and outreach countries to validate priority actions, outline a technical implementation plan, and identify national implementers for pastoral livestock marketing.
Dr. Huyam noted that the analytics and implementers’ workshop is a crucial step in shaping the platform’s detailed implementation plan and in strengthening the contributions of pastoral communities and stakeholders to the sector’s transformation.
The APMD Platform is designed to provide practical solutions to foster sustainable growth and transformation in pastoral markets across three key pillars: policy development, data ecosystems, and private-sector integration.
“As Kenya stands as one of the lighthouse countries, I am confident your contributions shared during this workshop will inspire and guide other nations in the IGAD region (outreach countries) to join us on this journey,” Dr. Huyam added, expressing gratitude to participants and development partners for their valuable input.
The workshop in Kenya, and another set for Nigeria next week, aims to validate the pastoral livestock market analysis, identify key gaps, and enhance stakeholder collaboration across policy, data, and private sectors.
Dr Huyam said it will also develop cost-effective, synergized implementation plans, with a validated monitoring and evaluation framework for progress tracking, and a strategic dialogue plan to engage national leaders for endorsement.
According to Kenya’s State Department of Livestock Development, the country’s 2021 livestock population stood at 16,182,356 beef cattle, 24,801,605 sheep, 32,570,314 goats, and 4,427,881 camels, collectively producing 500,000 metric tons of red meat that year.
The national demand for red meat in Kenya is projected to reach 800,000 metric tons by 2025, with an expected production of 607,000 metric tons, indicating a growing red meat deficit exceeding 250,000 metric tons due to population growth, urbanization, and rising incomes among the middle class.
“Marketing for both live animals and livestock products, along with securing higher profits, provides the strongest incentive for greater investment in both primary production and value-added production,” stated Mr. Jonathan Mueke, Principal Secretary of the State Department of Livestock Development.
In a speech read on his behalf by Dr. Richard Kyuma, Director of Livestock Marketing, Mr. Mueke emphasized that the Kenyan government recognizes these challenges and has prioritized policy development and interventions that actively involve women and youth in formal livestock businesses across livestock and livestock product value chains.
