Mali launches meat label in effort to boost exports
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00:00 A stamp of approval for Malian meat.
00:04 Introducing the Mali Sogo brand, a designation developed by the government and the Mali Livestock
00:10 and Meat Trade Association.
00:12 It aims to promote Malian red meat internationally and stimulate the local economy.
00:17 Because livestock is mainly exported live, the meat sector is relatively underdeveloped.
00:23 The label aims to promote meat exports by encouraging producers to process it locally
00:28 before selling abroad.
00:31 The way that livestock farming is developed here, it contributes little to the structural
00:35 transformation of the economy.
00:36 But if we contribute to meat processing, it will help establish abattoirs and other small-scale
00:41 or semi-industrial industries.
00:46 According to the Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, over 30% of Mali's rural population
00:51 generate their income exclusively from livestock farming.
00:55 The sector also contributes over 15% to the country's gross domestic product.
01:01 For the IFBV Mali, this initiative is an opportunity to grow the butchering sector and promote
01:07 Malian products domestically and abroad.
01:10 "It's a meat that's highly prized in Arab countries and in many others, given the quality
01:17 of our pastures and the quality of our salty soils.
01:22 So that's really why we decided to label our meat, to make it known on the national and
01:27 international markets and to make it a profitable product."
01:35 Another aim of the Mali Sogo label is to allow for traceability and avoid unfair competition
01:41 from counterfeit products.
01:42 [BLANK_AUDIO]