Livestock and livestock product exports are the main source of foreign currency earning in Somaliland. However, in the recent past, the growth in earnings from livestock sales has been declining against a background of increasing human population growth. Adding value to the livestock and livestock products provides an avenue for reversing the declining growth in incomes. This report presents the findings of a study that assessed the bone and tallow value chains in Somaliland. The assessment mapped and characterised these value chains and also identified the main constraints that hinder their development. The results showed that both value chains are short, use low-value inputs, produce relatively low-valued products and involve participants from minority groups, women and youths. This implies that they offer an opportunity for inclusive economic growth that encompasses the most vulnerable groups in the country. The final product in the tallow value chain is laundry soap, while bone trinkets are crafted from camel bones. Besides, the two value chains are complementary, such that some of the fats used to make soap are obtained from bone marrow fats, with the bones used in crafting of ornamental products. However, the two value chains have failed to exploit the various opportunities for growth due to a number of constraints that include low quality of the final products, lack of access to working and investment capital and inconsistent supply of raw materials. Strengthening of these promising value chains will require the following interventions among others : (i) improvement of the processing skills of the value chain actors through appropriate trainings to allow the development of quality products; (ii) enhancing access to working and investment capital, through the financial institutions or donors, that will allow acquisition of the necessary new equipment to upgrade the quality and quantity of the products; and (iii) review and/or develop new business plans for the existing businesses that should include, among others, a clear sustainable growth strategy and vision.

中文翻译：

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索马里兰牲畜副产品价值链评估：以骨头和牛脂为例

牲畜和畜产品出口是索马里兰的外币收入的主要来源。但是，在最近的过去，在人口增长的背景下，畜牧业销售收入的增长一直在下降。为牲畜和牲畜产品增加价值为扭转收入下降的趋势提供了一条途径。该报告介绍了一项研究的结果，该研究评估了索马里兰的骨骼和牛脂价值链。评估对这些价值链进行了映射和特征分析，并确定了阻碍其发展的主要制约因素。结果表明，两个价值链都很短，使用低价值的投入，生产相对低价值的产品，并有来自少数群体，妇女和青年的参与者。这意味着它们为包容该国最弱势群体的包容性经济增长提供了机会。牛脂价值链的最终产品是洗衣皂，而骨饰则是由骆驼骨头制成的。此外，这两个价值链是互补的，因此用于制造肥皂的某些脂肪是从骨髓脂肪中获得的，而骨骼则用于装饰产品。但是，由于许多制约因素，包括最终产品质量低，无法获得营运资金和投资资金以及原材料供应不稳定，这两个价值链未能利用各种增长机会。加强这些有前途的价值链将需要采取以下干预措施：（i）通过适当的培训提高价值链参与者的加工技能，以开发优质的产品；（ii）通过金融机构或捐助者增加获得营运资金和投资资金的渠道，这将使人们能够购置必要的新设备以提高产品的质量和数量；（iii）审查和/或制定现有业务的新业务计划，其中应包括明确的可持续增长战略和愿景。