Importance of the Livestock Sub-sector

Agriculture Livestock to
Agriculture
%
GDP 30% 30%
Value 20% 15%
Total Exports
Value >50%
non-oil Exports
Employment 29% 11%
 Main Dimensions

➔ Structure of the sub-sector

➔ Constraints and opportunities for

enhanced efficiency

➔ Policy options for improvement.

 Main Issues

• Production Performance
• Feed and Feeding Capacity
• Marketing and Pricing policies
• Trade
• Support Services
 Production Performance
Population
000 heads
Sheep Cattle Goats
Av. 1975-80 7645 687 1011

1990 14508 787 1000

1998 15424 971 1101

Output
000 tons/liters
1989 1998
Meat 113 154
Sheep Milk 438 582
(33%)
Meat 18 43
Cattle Milk 777 1119
(62%)
Meat 6.2 5.9
Goats
Milk 60 79
Egg 1378 2228
Poultry (million) (doubled)
Meat 49 97
 Yield

Milk
Cows’ milk in kilogram/animal
1980-89 1989-98
Indigenous 797 781
breeds
Crossbred 2165 2424
Management

Breed
Meat

Increase due to Population Increase

Potentials for Improving Yield

• Intensive Feeding
• Improved Feed Conversion
Demand and Supply for livestock products

Per capita consumption (kg/person)

1985 1998
Beef 2.9 2.7
Mutton 9.6 9.6
Poultry meat 7.8 5.8
Milk 109 111
 To meet demand production has to be
intensified. This requires:

• For Sheep:
➘ Increased level of supplementary feeding
➘ Better husbandry
➘ Improved reproduction performance
➘ Research and extension
• For Cattle:
➘ Use of genetically superior animals
➘ Increased stall feeding
➘ More integration with crop production
 To meet demand production has to be
intensified. This requires:

For Poultry:
➘ Continue to intensify
➘ Develop and improve cold storage infrastructure.

Availability of high quality food is common

denominator to all of the above.
 Feed Sources and Consumption

• Natural Pasture (grazing)

• Concentrates
• Crop Residues
• Green Fodder
• Industrial Residues
 Feed Deficit (Dry matter million tons
per year)

• 1.8 million tons (availability 8.9,

requirements 10.7)
• Estimates at 2010 (2.1 million ton)
 Policy Action to Address Feed Deficit

Al Badia recovery of loss in productivity :

➘ Identifying users boundaries
➘ Give users groups legal status
➘ Formulating binding usage regulations
➘ Community participation in range land management

➘ Formulate drought strategy with aim of encouraging greater

self reliance to manage drought and difficult seasons.
Policy Action to Address Feed Deficit

Crops and Crop Residues:

➘ Increased integration of livestock and crop production

➘ Adoption of proven feeding technology
➘ Increased support to livestock nutrition research
➘ Integrated farming system approach to feeding
technology generation and spread.
Policy Action to Address Feed Deficit

Feed and Fodder Marketing:

➘Withdrawal of public sector from the feed

and fodder trade and trade liberalization.
➘Alternative approaches needed for
government support to poor livestock
producers.
 Marketing and Trade

➘Improved livestock market information systems to

increase competition and efficiency

➘Enforcement of hygiene and sanitary standards specially

with expanded meat processing industry.

➘Conduct a study to appraise Syria’s competitiveness in

live sheep trade to develop better long-term strategies for
trade.