Introduction

Livestock farming plays an important role in agricultural development, yet this role is multi-faceted, varying from region to region and changing in the course of time. Theories of economic development tend to treat the agricultural sector as an aggregate of crop and livestock farming, without paying attention to the specific features of the livestock sub-sector. However, one has to acknowledge that livestock farming is unique as an agricultural activity because it fulfils a variety of functions, especially in a developing economy.