Export of Livestock Product – SS3 Livestock Farming Lesson Note (Second Term)

Export is the sale of goods produced in Nigeria to buyers in other countries.

Behavioural objectives

1. Define export in livestock farming.
2. Name the main international markets for Nigerian livestock products.
3. Explain the trade barriers that affect livestock exports.
4. State the export opportunities open to a Nigerian farmer.
5. List the steps a farmer follows to become an exporter.

What is the export of livestock products?

The export of livestock products is the sale of animals and animal products from Nigeria to buyers abroad.

• Export: goods leave Nigeria and are sold in another country.
• Import: goods enter Nigeria from another country (the opposite of export).
• Foreign exchange: money in another country’s currency, such as dollars or euros, earned from export sales.
• Example: “Moroccan leather” is made from the skins of Sokoto Red goats.

Which livestock products can Nigeria export?

Why is export useful?

• Higher income: foreign buyers often pay more than local buyers.
• Foreign exchange: export earnings help the country pay for imports.
• Jobs: tanning, processing, packaging and transport employ many people.
• Better quality: meeting foreign standards pushes farmers to improve their products.

Which international markets buy Nigerian livestock products?

There are four main kinds of market for Nigerian livestock products: the Middle East, Europe and Asia, global niche markets and regional African markets.

• The Middle East: demand for live sheep and goats, especially during festive periods. Buyers prefer animals raised naturally on grass.
• Europe and Asia: demand for high-quality leather (hides and skins) for car seats and designer handbags.
• Global niche markets: growing interest in organic and halal certified meat products from Africa.
• Regional markets (AfCFTA): the African Continental Free Trade Area makes it easier to sell beef or eggs to Ghana, Benin and Togo.

What are the trade barriers to livestock export?

A trade barrier is a rule or condition that makes it harder to sell goods in another country.

• Other countries set barriers to protect their citizens and their own farmers.
• Exporting is more than putting meat on a plane.

What are Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures?

SPS measures are health and safety rules that a country applies to imported food, animals and plants.

• Sanitary: protects human and animal health, which matters most for livestock.
• Phytosanitary: protects plant health.
• Disease outbreaks: many developed countries refuse meat from countries with diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease or Bird Flu.
• Aim: the buyer must be sure the food will not bring disease into its country.
• Why it is the biggest barrier: a single outbreak can close a market.

What are quality standards and certification?

Quality standards are the global requirements that a product must meet before a foreign buyer accepts it.

• Antibiotic traces: honey or meat containing them can be rejected.
• Dangerous chemicals: leather tanned with them can be rejected.
• Cost of rejection: the goods are rejected at the border and sent back at the exporter’s expense.

What are tariffs and quotas?

Tariffs and quotas are two ways a buying country limits imports.

• Tariff: a tax on imported goods that makes them dearer than local products.
• Quota: a limit on the amount of a product you may send in a year.

What local problems limit Nigerian exports?

• Poor slaughterhouses: unhygienic abattoirs produce meat that foreign buyers reject.
• Disease control: weak vaccination and animal movement control allow outbreaks.
• Few testing laboratories: farmers struggle to prove their products meet standards.
• Raw exports: selling raw skins earns far less than selling finished goods.

What opportunities exist for the Nigerian agripreneur?

An agripreneur is a person who runs a farming business to make a profit, and the opportunities below are open to such a person.

1. Value addition: export finished leather bags, not raw skins. Export processed kilishi in vacuum-sealed packs, not raw meat.
2. Specialty products: the skin of the Sokoto Red goat is highly valued for fine leather. It earns well for anyone who processes it to international standards.
3. Honey and wax: pure, organic honey is in demand for food and cosmetics.
4. Casings: cleaned animal intestines are sold to Europe as natural casings for sausages.
5. Regional trade: beef and eggs can go to neighbouring countries under AfCFTA.

How does a farmer get started with export?

A farmer becomes an exporter by following four steps in order.

1. Registration: register your business with the NEPC (Nigerian Export Promotion Council).
2. Find a buyer: use the internet or trade fairs to find a distributor in the other country.
3. Testing: send samples to a laboratory to check that the product meets the buyer’s standards.
4. Documentation: prepare shipping documents, insurance and health certificates from the veterinary authorities.

How do local and international selling compare?

• Local market: the farmer sells within Nigeria, often directly to buyers who trust him or her.
• International market (export): the farmer sells abroad and must meet the buying country’s rules.

Class discussion and practical activity

1. The “Made in Nigeria” challenge: look at the shoes or bag you are wearing. If they are leather, was the leather processed in Nigeria or imported? Give a reason.
2. Research: use a phone or computer to look up the NEPC website. List three livestock products it shows as exportable from Nigeria.
3. Critical thinking: as Minister of Agriculture, what one change would you make in local slaughterhouses to make our meat good enough for the European market?

Evaluation

1. Define export.
2. Name two international markets for Nigerian livestock products and state what each one buys.
3. What are SPS measures, and why are they the biggest barrier to livestock export?
4. Differentiate between a tariff and a quota.
5. List the four steps a farmer follows to become an exporter.

Assignment

Explain how value addition can help a Nigerian farmer earn more from export. Give two examples of value-added livestock products from the lesson.