Livestock Sector Strategy 2015-2019.

To provide a sector-wide framework and a clear road-map for the development of the livestock sector over the upcoming five years, the Ministry of Agriculture issued this Livestock Sector Strategy (LSS) 2015-19, aligned with the National Agriculture Sector Strategy “Resilience and Development” 2014-16.In order to achieve the livestock sector vision - “A sustainable and productive livestock sector that is competitive both locally and externally, enhances food security in Palestine, promotes resilience of Palestinian breeders, and supports economic growth”, 3 strategic objectives were formulated as follows: (i) to enhance the resilience of livestock keepers against Israeli occupation, natural hazards, and economic shocks, especially vulnerable farmers; (ii) to improve the livestock productivity, profitability, competitiveness and contribution to food security, employment generation and economic growth, and (iii) to strength governance, regulatory and institutional capacity of the livestock sector. Main priorities to achieve these 3 objectives are: as for (i) providing access to land, natural resources, legal support and infrastructure, and coping with natural disasters; as for (ii) increasing the quality and quantity of livestock products, enhancing the breeding, strengthening veterinary and extension services, preventing and controlling the animal disease, empowering farmers, and linking the farmers to the market; and as for (iii) enforcing and strengthening the livestock related policies, laws, human resources capacity and promoting synergies and harmonization between PA institutions themselves and with international organizations.To help eliminate hunger and food insecurity, main actions are: ensure grazing land and pastures conservation, management and development; increase availability and access to agricultural water.In order of making agriculture, forestry and fisheries more productive and sustainable, the Strategy proposes inter alia: rehabilitate and construct infrastructure for livestock improvement; improve farm and flock management; improve livestock breeds and breeding management system; improve livestock feeds and feeding management system; prevent and control animal disease and public health risks.To reduce rural poverty, it aims at improving living conditions of vulnerable farmers and herders in Area C, Bedouin communities and Gaza Strip.As for enabling more inclusive and efficient agricultural and food systems, the Strategy proposes the enhancement of economic utilization of livestock byproducts; the empowerment of livestock farmers’ cooperatives and councils; encourage and support women’s participation in livestock value chain activities; apply of food safety and sanitary phytosanitary (SPS); and accredited animal health and food safety labs.The entire Strategy, aiming in its Strategic Objective 1 at enhancing the resilience of livestock keepers against natural hazards is focused on increasing the resilience of livelihoods to disasters. In this regard it suggests the establishment of an effective natural disaster management mechanisms to cope with natural disaster and emerging diseases.As for the governance an inter-ministerial and crosscutting coordination mechanisms shall be established together with the enforcement of the livestock sector-related policies, programs, regulations and laws to develop, reform and protect the sector and the related activities.