Terra Nuova, an Italian NGO, in partnership with International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is implementing an European Commission (EC) funded project called “Improvement and Diversification of Somali Livestock Trade and Marketing”. The aim of the project is to alleviate poverty through enhanced access to livestock export marketing, support services by local authorities, Somali Veterinary Professionals (SVPs), traders and producers, whilst fostering participation of the poor to accountable, effective and competent rural institutions. The project began in February 2005 and shall run for 36 months. The main activities of the project include:
- An inventory of marketing chains and institutions;
- Development of a consistent grading standard;
- Establishment of quality control procedures;
The overall objective is to alleviate poverty through an enhanced access to livestock export support services and natural resources whilst fostering participation of the poor to accountable, effective and competent rural institutions. The project will contribute towards the improvement of natural resource management and the quality and volume of services available in rural areas creating a suitable environment for private service provision as well. Through enhancing competence, accountability and effectiveness of decentralised institutions, the project will address relevant constraints such as:
- unreliable delivery of public goods;
- inequitable access to resources;
- unclear roles and responsibilities between public and private sectors; and
- poor standards of administrative accountability and governance.
Addressing these constraints will contribute to the improvement of the institutional settings guaranteeing more opportunities for income generation and improved livelihood of the rural poor and in turn contributing to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
BlueSky Telemetry™ GPS collar is being used to map the different trekking routes used in Southern Somalia to carry cattle to the Kenya border and to Garissa final market for sale. The process starts with livestock traders buying cattle in Central and Southern Somalia and then employing drovers (herders) to accompany and guard cattle and to pass safely different clanic check points along the routes. This activity shall contribute to provide useful information to local authorities for more effective decision making and for establishment of quality control procedures (like CCP) along the routes that are essential in setting up Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system to comply with international livestock trade rules and regulations.
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