Introduction

IGAD region is rich in livestock resources. It exports about 50% and less than 10% of live animals and meat respectively to Middle East and North African (MENA) countries’ annual demand. This shows there is a big potential to increase market share if appropriate measures are taken. One of the major challenges is inadequate information flow and limited transparency regarding sanitary measures between the exporting and importing countries. As a remedy, IGAD Centre for Pastoral Areas and Livestock Development (ICPALD) in collaboration with FAO established an inter-regional technical committee of Chief Veterinary Officers of IGAD and MENA countries to frequently discuss and review the impediments to exports and propose solutions. The 4th inter-regional platform recommended bringing together the exporters and importers to help improve communication, and thereby enhance trust, transparency and trade among the two regions. As a follow up ICPALD/IGAD organized the private sector meeting  in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 17th  March 2022.

The workshop was officially opened by Mr. Abebaw Tadesse, the Secretary General of the Ethiopian Meat Producers and Exporters Association. Dr. Ameha Sebsibe representing Director of ICPALD/IGAD, and Dr. Ricarda representing FAO Sub-regional Coordinator made welcome remarks. Participants were exporters and importers from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, Djibouti and Ethiopia.  

The meeting  reviewed the presentations, discussed and recommended the following for actions by the concerned bodies, and agreed to monitor the actions.

• Disease control and eradication efforts by export countries IGAD, FAO and AU-IBAR should be strengthened and continued.
• Engaging in collaboration with IGAD countries to address illegal trade through formalization of trade, among others.
• Address the stringent SPS requirement through collaboration, capacity building and coordination in the IGAD Member States.
• Discuss and coordinate on how to solve the illegal money transactions throughout the member countries.
• IGAD countries should work on pasture, forage and water development to solve the issue of recurrent drought, and enhance marketable supply throughout the year.
• Enhance allocation of more resources for value addition and processing, for increased meat export including the use of PPP.
• Livestock exports represent an important and significant source of foreign exchange and a labor market in IGAD countries, hence the exporters from IGAD and/or with importers shall invest on commercialization.
• The Governments of exporting countries, independently or in collaboration with IGAD, shall work on organizing trade mission with the relevant stakeholders to widen the market destinations.
• The meat and live animal associations in IGAD Member States and other stakeholders should increase their capacity to negotiate for a fair live animal and meat price in the MENA market.
• IGAD in collaboration with exporting and importing countries should organize inter-regional investment conference to attract new investment and expand the existing ones. One key commodity that need special attention is feed production and marketing to produce marketable supply.
• Capacity building shall consider advocacy, lobbying, promotion, networking, and industry promotion for successful export market in both live and meat export.
• ICPALD to dedicate a page on its web site to post some relevant materials including import requirements and any other relevant information for MENA/IGAD and beyond.
• ICPALD to create a WhatsApp group IGAD-MENA platform to facilitate information exchange.
• The participants requested IGAD to continue engaging the exporters and importers and sustain a inter-regional platform as it brings opportunities for traders to interact and trade within the region and with MENA.

ICPALD expresses its appreciation to FAOSFE for funding this activity.