NAIROBI, July 26 -- The livestock trade in Eastern Africa saw a significant increase in the second quarter of 2024, driven by robust demand in the Middle East, according to a joint report released on Friday by two United Nations agencies.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and World Food Programme (WFP), traders in the region exported 204,000 goats, 57,000 cattle, 28,000 camels, and 6,000 sheep to the Middle East during the quarter.

"This total livestock trade marks an increase of 16 percent, 21 percent, and 106 percent than the first quarter of 2024, the second quarter of 2023, and the five-year second quarter average, respectively," the agencies said in the report.

Since 2023, the Middle East livestock market has continued its recovery after the COVID-19 lockdown, the institutions said, noting that in Eastern Africa, livestock herd sizes have continued to improve due to favorable pasture and water conditions following droughts that ended in 2022, therefore boosting exports.

"Notably, the supply of goats, cattle, and camels from Ethiopia to Somalia for domestic use and re-exports exceeded the average, as were most livestock exports from Somalia to Kenya and Uganda to South Sudan," the agencies said.

According to the East African Community Secretariat, the region is Africa's largest exporter of livestock, making the sector a significant income generator for pastoralists, processors, and governments in the region.

  - Xinhua