The Experience of IFAD in Alleviating Technical, Socio-Economic and Policy Constraints
Document authored by IFAD Staff - Ahmed E. Sidahmed, Abdelhamid Abdouli, M. Hassani and M. Nourallah.
Keynote presentation at the Symposium on the Development
of Sheep Production Systems in Hot Arid Zones with Special Reference to
Kuwait: Towards Efficient Sheep Production; Kuwait Institute for Scientific
Research (KISR); Safat, Kuwait 20 - 22 April 1998. Published as IFAD Technical
Advisory Division Staff Working Paper No. 30, March 2000.
Introduction
The human population in the NENA region increased by 43% between 1983 and 1997 and is expected to double by the year 2020 (FAO, 1998). This trend has not been associated with an equal increase in food production, particularly from livestock sources. Furthermore, urbanisation and change in dietary habits and lifestyle of a large proportion of the inhabitants have significantly increased the demand for meat and milk, and caused a dramatic shift from the extensive cattle/camel based traditional systems to intensive and highly commercialised small ruminant production systems. At present, sheep population is the largest in all countries of the region (256.7 million head compared to 1445.5 and 80.7 million heads of goats and cattle, respectively) (FAO, 1998). Sheep raising has become one of the most important means of livelihood and food security for the rural population.
Commercialisation of livestock production was reflected in higher demand for improved breeds and in government policies which supported intensification and allowed massive imports of subsidised feed products leading to a significant increase of livestock numbers, beyond the carrying capacity of the rangelands. However, in spite of the marked increase, the per capita consumption of high quality protein and animal-source micro-nutrients remains generally low (International Livestock Research Institute-ILRI, 1997). These realities have encouraged many countries to seriously consider measures to adopt new trade and price policies and to develop legislation and regulations aiming at lifting subsidies, limiting or reducing importation of feed and prohibiting cultivation of barley and feed grain in the marginal areas.
An
overview of sheep production systems in the 25 countries of the Near
East and North Africa (NENA) region is presented. The key constraints
to the major sheep production systems in the region are highlighted. The
paper draws on IFAD's experience in supporting investment and adaptive
research projects aiming at mainstreaming the interests of rural poor
in the national development policies and programmes. The paper stresses
the significance of IFAD's approach in developing activities in close
collaboration with the rural communities based on their immediate needs
and interests. Issues and recommendations on the significance of policies
and legislation were deleoped to favour communal management, prohibit
excessive land fragmentation, support privatisation and delivery of animal
health services to the rural communities through village volunteers and
auxiliaries.
