Women involvement in value added Livestock Marketing

In Afar Region in Ethiopia, the national NGO Partner to Rural Development (PARD) has mobilized and organized women into savings and credit cooperatives in order to enable the community to mobilize their own savings and to provide loans through their cooperative aiming to initiate small scale businesses including fattening and marketing of livestock.

The five women groups in Asayita and Afambo Woredas count 100 women members, all of them were trained in savings and loans management, organized and supported with credit facilities in order to top up the funds value.

The groups bought 2 to 3 weak and thin small ruminants at low prices, such as 1500 – 2000 birrs per animal and fattened them for 3 to 4 months using their locally produced animal feeds and treatments they received from community animal health workers.

The groups sold the animals in bulk to Asiata and Afambo livestock markets at a cost of 4000 – 4500 birr per unit.  Results showed that saving schemes enabled the group members to earn a profit of 2500 birrs per animal and 7500 birr per household from the activity. From these profit women paid back their loan with a service charge of 5 % and remained with a net profit to cater for their additional household needs (food, shelter, education, medication etc….).  The groups are also linked to relevant government sectors (Women Affairs office and cooperative office at woreda level….) from where they received also technical support.