Organization and Performance of Cattle Marketing Systems in Sudan

The main objective of this book was to investigate the organization and performance of cattle marketing in Sudan (1985-2004). The field survey was conducted in 2005, but the data have been recently updated to include the period (2005-2015). The objective was realized through identifying the organizational characteristics of cattle marketing system, the existence of structural and behavioral pattern in cattle marketing in the country, describing the conduct of cattle traders, studying the profitability of cattle trade and finally testing the spatial integration of cattle markets. The book hypothesized that markets are competitive, highly integrated, the flow of cattle to markets is not constrained by trekking distance or by payment mode for sales. The book also hypothesized that cattle marketing is highly seasonal with high cyclical variation. Six secondary markets and one terminal market were selected to be studied. The book followed the cross-sectional survey design of a convenient, yet representative, sample of 265 actors selected from six secondary markets and a terminal one (all of which are managed and run by the Animal Resources Services Company-ARSCO).