Desert sheep in Kordofan Area-Sudan : production and marketing

الملخص EN

This study was carried out to examine the traditions and beliefs of desert-sheep producers, identify and analyze sheep production costs and returns according to the prevailing preferable sheep selling age and to determine the marketing channels and margins.

Accedintal sampling was used to collect data from 115 respondants (sheep producers/traders) from Gibiesh market in Western Sudan and 30 traders and middlemen from Omdurman central market.

Simple statistics, partial budget and market analyses were used to pursue the stated objectives.

The results revealed that according to farmers' traditions, the selling season of sheep extends from August to February while the best age for selling (both males and females of sheep) was 24 months.

The major sheep production cost items, in descending order of their values, were drinking water, salt, labor, animals feed, veterinary care and medicine, fines paid to individuals, flour, taxes and zakat, with each contributing substantially to total costs.

Generally, there are two means merchants used in transporting sheep from production area (Gibiesh market) to the consumption areas; on hoof trekking and by trucks.

Although the latter takes shorter times to reach the final destination, trekking was more preferred by producers, having the advantage of animal fattening through grazing en-route and around Omdurman if not sold for some time.

They only resort to truck transport when they have short-time delivery obligations or when transporting young animals.

The marketing channels were so lengthy and middlemen’s margins were almost equivalent to those of producers.

The study recommends establishing farmers’ institutions or associations, encouraging researches for pasture improvement, providing sheep producers/traders with low-costs veterinary care and medicines, and reducing or waiving their taxes in selling specified percentage of their sheep.

KEY WORDS: Desert sheep, producers' beliefs, production costs, marketing channels and margins.