Opportunities for Increasing Livestock Trade in the Mali–Côte d’Ivoire Corridor

The corridor spans over 1,000 kilometers, connecting the livestock-producing regions of Mali to the major consumption centers in Côte d’Ivoire. The corridor is a vital component of the regional livestock value chain, with a significant potential for increasing livestock trade. Livestock marketing in West Africa is a complex process, influenced by various policy, market infrastructure, and transport issues. The region's livestock markets are characterized by limited access to veterinary services, inadequate market information systems, and high transportation costs. These challenges hinder the efficient movement of livestock from production areas to consumption centers, resulting in significant losses for farmers and traders. The livestock fattening industry in Mali is a key component of the corridor's value chain. Cattle fattening is a lucrative business, with farmers in Mali earning significant returns from the sale of fattened cattle to buyers in coastal markets. However, the industry faces several challenges, including high costs of feed and veterinary services, limited access to finance, and inadequate market information. The Trade Hub and African Partners Network have identified several priority activities for FY 2015 to increase livestock trade in the Mali–Côte d’Ivoire Corridor. These activities include a test shipment of fattened cattle, a cattle-fattening workshop in Burkina Faso, exploration of other trade opportunities, and capacity building for farmers and traders. The implementation of these activities is expected to improve the efficiency of the corridor, increase livestock trade, and enhance the livelihoods of farmers and traders. The corridor's value chain is characterized by several components, including livestock value chain strategies, improvement of veterinary services, support for women's participation, strengthening of COFENABVI, market information systems, finance and investment, and environmental considerations. The implementation of these components is expected to improve the overall efficiency of the corridor and increase livestock trade. The Mali–Côte d’Ivoire Corridor has significant potential for increasing livestock trade, with targeted increases in livestock export value projected to reach $100 million by 2018. The corridor's value chain is characterized by several opportunities for growth and development, including the expansion of cattle fattening, improvement of veterinary services, and enhancement of market information systems. The successful implementation of these opportunities is expected to improve the livelihoods of farmers and traders, enhance food security, and contribute to the economic development of the region.