INTRODUCTION

The FAO trade yearbooks over the last two decades have shown a trend of increase in meat imports by developing countries. Taking the import volume of the past into account, the future tendency indicates further imports.

It is pertitant to note that with the objective of food security attaining a higher priority worldwide as was highlighted by the FAO summit in June 1999, an increasing number of countries are striving to achieve higher levels of self-sufficiency in food production.

Although there are indigenous livestock in developing countries, their productivity is low. The main cause of this poor productivity can be attributed to the farming systems in use. The persistance of this state of affairs is probably due to the absence of applied research on meat production. Not only has there been an absence of scientifically based advice on husbandry and nutrition in most developing countries, but also no steps have been taken to establish genetic improvement programmes, except in few countries and on a limited scale.