Burkina Faso to set up meat export system through new national slaughter agency
The new public agency will manage slaughterhouses as Burkina Faso shifts from exporting live animals to meat. The move aims to increase value from livestock sector through local processing.
BURKINA FASO – The government of Burkina Faso is taking formal steps to start exporting meat instead of live animals by establishing a public agency tasked with managing slaughterhouse operations across the country.
On April 8, the Council of Ministers approved a decree creating the Faso Abattoir Agency, which will oversee the coordination, regulation, and modernization of national and regional abattoirs.
Amadou Dicko, the Minister Delegate in charge of Animal Resources, stated that the new institution is expected to centralize slaughterhouse activities, improve hygiene and environmental practices, and streamline logistics for both the livestock supply chain and meat distribution networks.
This development aligns with broader government efforts to grow domestic meat processing capacity and reduce dependence on live animal exports.
One of the key investments in this initiative is a new slaughterhouse under construction in Ziniaré, which broke ground in March and is being built at a total cost of US$2.3 million.
Authorities say the overall goal is to enhance the economic return from livestock by retaining processing within the country, instead of continuing the long-standing practice of exporting cattle in live form.
A statement released after the Council of Ministers meeting emphasized that Burkina Faso intends to become an exporter of processed meat products rather than live animals.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics and Demography (INSD) shows that exports of live animals, including cattle, goats, and sheep, have grown sharply in recent years—from 581 tonnes in 2019 to 3,746 tonnes in 2023, representing an annual average increase of 59.3%.
However, much of the livestock sector still functions under traditional practices, with limited formal slaughter capacity despite the country’s large animal population.
A 2022 report by the General Directorate of Sectoral Studies and Statistics (DGESS) estimated that Burkina Faso had about 35 million livestock animals, comprising 32% sheep, 30% goats, 28% cattle, and 4% pigs.
Although the country produces over 30 million tonnes of beef annually, only a small fraction of cattle is processed through formal slaughterhouses, with around 267,000 animals officially slaughtered in regulated facilities, yielding 30,137 tonnes of beef.
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