Livestock is an important asset throughout Southern Sudan. It's the main livelihood of more than 80% (11.2 million people) of the total population of Southern Sudan. The main cattle producing areas are the western provinces of the Upper Nile State, Eastern Equatoria, Jonglei, and parts of Bahr El-Ghazal States. This year’s high rainfall will ensure that there is exceptionally good browse and grazing for cattle and small stock. Milk yields are also anticipated to improve as a result of better grazing. This will improve household food security over the short-term. However livestock production and marketing is faced with a number of challenges. Livestock diseases, lack of adequate water and pasture, lack of access to markets, high taxation of livestock traders and rampant cattle rustling are some of the main challenges. However, there are also a number of opportunities that can be exploited to enhance livestock production and marketing in south Sudan. Emerging livestock trade routes, emerging urban markets, establishment of a common currency, and the diminishing role of the military in livestock trade are creating vibrant opportunities for the private sector to engage in livestock marketing.
In Eastern Equatoria there are opportunities, especially for livestock trade with Uganda and Kenya, currently unexploited due to perennial tribal conflicts in the area. Trade with the north has started opening up. The peaceful environment is also increasingly encouraging many service providers, especially veterinary service providers to start establishing operations in many areas of the south.
SNV has worked to support the emerging private sector, local authorities and local service providers to enhance livestock production and marketing in Southern Sudan for the last two years and will continue to do so over the next two years.
Specifically, SNV focuses in building capacity within local organizations for:
-
improved governance of livestock production and trade, especially of small livestock
-
improved service delivery to livestock producers
-
establishment of local markets to improve access of producers to markets.
SNV aims to increase the number of small livestock keepers earning more than 1.5 Euros a day.