Livestock production in South Sudan is mainly for the domestic markets with limited export of live animals or livestock products. Livestock in South Sudan are indigenous species owned by pastoralists who have low market inclination/ orientation. There is no commercial ranching or large-scale livestock production operations going on at the moment.
Challenges facing the Livestock sector
- Inadequate animal health care services against a backdrop of heavy animal disease burden.
- Inadequate market infrastructure including auction yards, holding grounds, quarantine points, roads, transport, communication, financial institutions.
- Lack of value-added beyond home-based indigenous and limited rudimentary processing leading to significant post-harvest wastage of livestock products particularly during times of plenty.
- Inadequate technical skills required to effectively manage livestock operations from health to production by both government and livestock owners.
- Lack of private sector investments, credit lines and insurance services
- Remoteness of traditional livestock production areas from major urban consumption centers,
- Massive livestock raiding/ rustling practiced traditionally by pastoralists and heavily fuelled and escalated by influx of small arms and light weapons in the region
- Poorly developed poultry and animal feed industry despite the high urban demand for broilers.