Record Details

Crop - Livestock Economies in the Semi - Arid Tropics Facts, Trends and Outlook

OAR@ICRISAT

View Archive Info
 
 
Field Value
 
Relation http://oar.icrisat.org/1202/
 
Title Crop - Livestock Economies in the Semi - Arid Tropics Facts, Trends and Outlook
 
Creator Rao, P P
Birthal, P S
Ndjeunga, J
 
Subject Agriculture-Farming, Production, Technology, Economics
 
Description This report analyzes the structure and trends in the crop-livestock economies of developing countries falling
wi thin the semi-arid tropics of the wor ld. Population growth, urbanization and increasing per capita incomes
are fuelling rapid growth in the demand for animal-based foods in developing countries including those located
in the semi-arid tropics. The rising demand for animal-based foods is likely to have several implications for
livestock production systems (structure, production, productivity, intensification etc), the environment, markets,
institutions and trade, and ultimately for livestock producers. We are thus witnessing a dualistic mode of
development: a fast growing commercial sector that is coming up close to demand centers even as the traditional
semi-subsistence sector continues to be the lifeline of many small and poor livestock keepers. In the commercial
sector, the non-food functions of livestock (draught, transport, asset etc) are on the decline. The rising demand
for animal-based food is also fuelling the derived demand for livestock feed, particularly crop residues in South
Asia and SSA, and agro-industrial by-products in all regions of the SAT.
The livestock sector is also under pressure to adjust to forces of market liberalization and globalization. Wi th
distortions in the wor ld trading environment for livestock products and stiff SPS standards, the competitiveness
of domestic dairy and meat production in SAT countries is under threat. The best option to remain competitive
is through the adoption of improved technologies, investments in infrastructure to meet quality standards,
domestic reforms, public-private sector partnerships particularly in the delivery of health services, innovative
institutions and policies that link small-scale producers wi th markets/processors.
Poverty is high in all SAT countries of SSA and South Asia. For a majority of the rural poor, livestock rearing is
an important means of survival. The productivity of livestock is low owing to numerous constraints. Alleviating
these constraints would help improve performance of livestock in SAT countries, which in turn would benefit
millions of poor.
 
Publisher International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
 
Date 2005
 
Type Monograph
NonPeerReviewed
 
Format application/pdf
 
Language en
 
Rights —
 
Identifier http://oar.icrisat.org/1202/1/RA_00418.pdf
Rao, P P and Birthal, P S and Ndjeunga, J (2005) Crop - Livestock Economies in the Semi - Arid Tropics Facts, Trends and Outlook. Monograph. International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics.