Somaliland has become a modest economic superpower in one commodity – goats.

[Admin]

Since Saudi Arabia lifted an export ban on Somaliland’s livestock in 2009, the breakaway state has seen a boom in the trade of livestock, particularly goats

The autonomous region of Somaliland in north-western Somalia, is a long way from being an independent state. But while the country’s politicians wait for a seat at the United Nations, the region has become a modest economic superpower in one commodity – goats.

The country’s wealth is livestock, with 90 per cent of export earnings coming from cattle, sheep, and the all-important goat. Last year, Somaliland exported over three million goats, according to the Ministry of National Planning and Development. Almost as an afterthought it shipped around 250,000 cattle as well.

Demand in the Middle East, especially during the Hajj, stimulates production by ensuring a ready market for goats, according to Nadhem Mtimet, an agricultural economist at the International Livestock Research Institute. ‘On the supply side, the climatic conditions in Somalia leave producers with few possible alternative activities apart from livestock keeping,’ he says. There is a down side. ‘The negative implications could be in terms of the dependency of the Somaliland economy on livestock production and exports.’

Trade bans could also severely damage the Somaliland economy. During the 1990s and 2000s, Saudi Arabia refused to buy goats from Somaliland due to a Rift Valley Fever outbreak.

There’s also an environmental aspect to be mindful of. ‘Overgrazing leading to land [and] environmental degradation could also be considered another negative externality of sheep and goat production,’ adds Mtimet.

He also cites severe drought as another risk factor that can cause losses of livestock. ‘Climate change and overgrazing have negative impacts on the availability of feed, which in turn threatens sheep and goat survival.’

This article was published in the August 2015 edition of Geographical Magazine

http://geographical.co.uk/

[gooni]

This is the benefit of not having border other Somalis god save the queen.

[Tillamook]

Today, goats... tomorrow, space going vessels, inshallah.

 

Long live our Hapless goat herding Habros ?

[xabad]

Those goats are denuding what little is left of vegetation and trees in that land.

 

The Externalities of herding are devastating on the land and it will never recover.

 

expect more hapless youth to drown in the Mediterranean as a result.

 

 

[Holac]

Goats exported by Somaliland come from all of over Somalia and Ethiopia.

[Tallaabo]

This export business is unsustainable. Already meat of all sorts which used to be the stable food of every Somali family rich or poor is now unaffordable luxury for many people in Somaliland. The environment is damaged permanently but the livestock which is responsible does not benefit the average urban family especially nowadays when urbanisation is growing in the Somali peninsula. Pastoralism is also not as rewarding as it used to be decades ago when the environment was more conductive to such a lifestyle. The average rural pastoralist is now so poor that aid agencies are regularly needed to support their very basic day to day living. In my opinion the only beneficiaries of this business are the rich exporters and the Saudis.