Abstract
The scope and direction of international agricultural trade among nations depend on a number of factors. This study, thus, sought to identify and evaluate the determinants of trade in live animals and animal products among member countries in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) sub-region. Panel data on values of bilateral merchandise imports of agricultural commodities (HS Codes 1-24) at 2-digits were obtained from the International Trade Centre (ITC) for the years 2001 to 2011. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics and gravity model. The value of all agricultural commodities imports within the region for the period stood at 4.56 billion US dollars, which accounted for 6.38% of the total value for all commodities imports in the region. Imports of live animals and animal products constituted 18.46% of all agricultural products imports for the period. The results also indicated that regional characteristics such as importer and exporter’s Gross Domestic Products (GDPs), geographical distance, contiguity and usage of common official language did significantly affect the trade in live animals and animal products. Intra-ECOWAS imports of these products were consistent with the gravity theory and the trade pattern followed the Heckscher-Ohlin’s theory of trade. The study therefore recommends that effort be made to improve on infrastructural facilities and harnessing of the resource endowments of member-countries to promote greater trade within the region. Key words: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), livestock trade, regional integration.
Highlights
External and internal motivation such as bilateral cordial relationship and specialization, respectively have been the major factors in the evolution and development of regional bodies in developing countries, especially bodies that are devoted to regional integration
The trade trends showed a tremendous increase from 3.92% in 2002 to 13.02% in 2008
It dropped to 9.52% in 2009 and later rose again to 12.45% in 2010
Summary
External and internal motivation such as bilateral cordial relationship and specialization, respectively have been the major factors in the evolution and development of regional bodies in developing countries, especially bodies that are devoted to regional integration. African countries found the need (both political and economic) to associate with one another. This stemmed from the belief that for their economies to develop, certain obstacles had to be removed. Regional bodies were created to take advantage of relative resource endowments, economies of scale and comparative advantage in production and consumption within the integrated region (Ogunkola, 1998). African countries would find it difficult to overcome the problems of poor resource endowment, lack of technical manpower and other socio-economic, political and environmental constraints. It is believed that regional integration would obviate these difficulties, which are the bane of isolated and poor economies in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries and pave the way for sustainable growth and development. With over 40 regional bodies in the continent there is need for the evaluation of existing efforts at integration
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