Role of buffalo in international trade

Although buffalo populations expand in 43 courtiers in the world, only four countries are producing more than 98% of the world buffalo milk in 2007 and around 73% of the world buffalo meat in the same year. These are China, India, Pakistan, and Egypt. Egypt is almost the only country in Africa that raises buffalo. There was a growth rate in the number of milking buffaloes and the percentage of milking buffaloes in the total stock is around 44%. The average annual milk yield per head increased from 957 kilograms in 1991 to about 1394 in 2007, at an annual growth rate 3%. There was an increase in the number of slaughtered animals at 1.5% a year, associated with an increase in the average carcass weight from 133 Kg to 174 Kg at annual rate of 1.9%. The buffaloes in Africa produce 50% of milk and 42% of red meat. The buffalo systems recognize higher profitability and return to investment, and lower net production costs of milk (4% fat), than both local and exotic cattle breeds. Egypt has apparent comparative advantage in producing milk rather than meat from buffalo. Therefore, the development plan should focus upon raising buffalo milk productivity, making meat production as a secondary joint product. Buffalo production is an approach towards rural development. Rural women have a major role in either decision making or labor share of buffalo enterprising. The progressive buffalo farms showed potential productive and reproductive performances. They are nucleus farms providing the traditional farms with improved genetic makeup