Animal Resources: Animal Resources Sector Contributes to Enhancing the Economy and Fighting Poverty : By Imad Mohamed Al Amin
15 October, 2012
KHARTOUM, SUDAN (Sudnow.info) - Despite the secession of the South, the Sudan remains Africa’s leading country in animal resources production. The country’s climatic diversity led to diverse animal resources: camels are in the northern belt and cattle in the southern and eastern belts while sheep and goats are bred in all parts of the country.
Moreover, the Sudan possesses huge fishery and poultry wealth. Rains average ranges between 100 mm and 1000 mm while the temperature ranges from 45c (Summer) to 10c (Winter). The arable lands constitute one-third of the country’s area, but only one-fifth of this is area is actually exploited. But equally important, is the fact that the Sudan possesses varied water resources, including rains, sub terrain, rivers, pools and waterfalls.
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Therefore, there are abundant opportunities for development f the animal resources sector if proper policies, plans and programmes are put in place for this purpose
Dr. Abasher Khalid Osman, Animal Resources Expert at the Ministry of Animal wealth, and higher education lecturer, said, according to 2011 estimates, the livestock population in the Sudan counts 103,278,000 heads, including 28,618,000 heads of cattle, 39,296,000 sheep, 30,649,000 goats and 4,715,000 camels, distributed as follows: 30.7% in Darfur, 26% in Kordofan, 25.9% in the central region, 10.9% in the East, 4.7% in the Northern region and 1.3% in Khartoum state, central Sudan.
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The Sudan is also highly rich in wildlife on which there is no precise count but the wildlife authorities believe there are at least 91 species and out of the 13 mammals, 12 of them are found in the Sudan. There are 931 kinds of birds in addition to amphibians, reptiles and insects. The poultry population is estimated at 30,602,020 in number; while there are 784,578 horses and 7,506,901donkeys and the fish and other aquatics are estimated at more than 100,000 tons
Dr. Osman said the latest survey that was conducted by a pastoral team in the country’s different states estimates the fodder resources in the Sudan at 49.67 million tons, including 34.77 million tons of natural pastures, 14.15 million tons of plantation remains, 0.54 million tons of irrigated fodders and 0.20 million tons of concentrated fodders
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Dr. Osman said the veterinarians registered with Veterinary Council until 8 July 2012 numbered 6676 vets of both private and public sectors while the animal production graduates are 240 and the technicians are 110 in number, in addition to others who have not yet been registered. The manpower in the Federal Ministry of Animal Resources alone includes 750 vets, 15 economists, 33 agricultural engineers, 69 animal production graduates, five science (chemical) graduates, 35 natural resources, 253 technicians and technologists, 36 functionaries and 762 laborers, most of them in animal health (2011). Besides, there are 104 veterinary hospitals, 362 veterinary dispensaries, 102 mobile veterinary dispensaries and 49 veterinary supervision posts.
Animal resources researcher and expert Dr. Yusuf Mohamed Abdul Razig, at the Sudan Animal Production Department said the animal health and epidemics control services are based on the diseases survey and field investigation (the Project of Epidemics Survey and Animal Diseases Control) and the field backup in addition to coordination meetings in the states and relevant foreign partnerships.
Experts point out that efforts are exerted for privatization of the veterinary services, except the follow-up, assessment and control at the central level.
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Dr Raziq explains that the animal production services focus on upgrading the productivity for improvement of the strains and expansion in artificial pollination for cows and goats and intensified production in the pastures, identification of the animal and replacement of importation of the animal products. Dr. Abdul Razig said the Sector managed in 2011 to produce 4.3 million tons of milk, 40,000 tons of eggs, 37,000 tons of poultry meats and 37 million pieces of tanned hide. He said it is regretful that some animal products are still being imported to the Sudan in great quantities that reach 32,000 tons of powdered milk, 1, 200 tons of cheese, 220 tons of butter and 178 tons of cream in addition to poultry products. This means the need for a speedy implementation of the programme for replacement of the imports. Dr. Abdul Razig added that the services of the fish and aquatics sector endeavors to develop and protect the sources of the fish resources and control the fish quality. This sector in 2011 produced 72,000 tons from its different sources, the expert said. He stressed that it is important to benefit from the animal resources sector in accordance with the circumstances which are conducive to the development, including the abundant animal wealth of livestock, fish, poultry, wildlife and expansive natural pastures, the diverse water resources, the paved roads in all directions and the positive development of the sector despite the declining production and productivity. Dr. Abdul Razig emphasized the need for achieving self-sufficiency in meats and contribution to bridging the food gap in the Arab and Muslim countries and substantial contribution to the exportation proceeds by an average 150 million dollars during 2001-2010 besides increasing the proceeds by 378 million dollars in 2011.
The animal resources sector also contributed to the community responsibility in the fields of Zakat (Islamic tax) creating jobs and alleviating poverty, in addition to backing the budgets of the localities in the form of livestock duties and other taxes.
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Animal wealth sector contributes 21% of the gross national and 50% to the agricultural product, Dr. Abdul Razig said, attributing this to the sector’s low cost as it relies on the agricultural and industrial remains and on natural pastures.
He said the production, services and supportive projects of the animal resources sector cover all animal resources activities. Those include the projects scheduled to finish during or by the end of 2012 (the experimental production and marketing and animal health and epidemics control projects) and those which have been approved and would continue until the end of the three-year programme (2012-2014) and yet others to be carried out during the five-year strategic plan (2012-2016). Those projects and their budgets which are appropriated for 2012 (the first year of both the three-year programme and five-year plan) can be listed as follows:
1. The development projects of the Ministry of Animal Resources, Fisheries and Pastures (19 projects), SDG 58.2 million
2. The integrated rural development projects (five), SDG 20.2 million
3. Animal resources inaugural development projects (20). SDG 531.6 million
4. Joint-venture projects with the executive programme of the agricultural revival (six), SDG 128.5 million
5. The private sector projects (three), SDG 114 million + USD 130 million
Finally, the animal resources sector is of a special economic value, particularly after the missing of the oil proceeds. The country has become dependent on it and on the other economic sectors, which have now become of a significant importance for supporting the resources and bringing in badly needed hard currencies to the national coffer.
End
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