In this article, you will learn about the structure of the production of the major animal products by industry according to their primary products, secondary products, their industrial by-products as well as their non-food products. This structure involves production, importation, processing, marketing, and consumption.

This would help you to know the potential and opportunities existing in the production of these animal products as understanding these classifications of animal products by industry provides a holistic view of the myriad ways in which animals contribute to our lives.

Whether it’s nourishing us through food or providing materials for various industries, the products of the animal kingdom are integral to our daily existence.

Classification of Animal Products by Industry

1. Primary Animal Products

These are the products that come directly from animals, and they’re often categorized into two main groups:

1. Meat Industry: This includes the flesh of animals, such as beef, pork, lamb, and poultry. It’s a crucial source of protein for human consumption.

The meat industry comprises all processes concerned with the sale and production of meat.

Meat sold in many countries comes mainly from cattle, chicken, pig, goat, sheep, and other sources smuggled into the country such as turkey and chicken despite a government ban.

Imports of all live cattle, beef and beef products are not allowed. Pork, mutton (sheep meat), and goat meat are also unilaterally banned.

Some countries also ban live poultry (excepting only day-old chicks) and poultry meat, including fresh, frozen, and cooked poultry meat. However, fish is mostly imported.

The beef comes from cattle (raised extensively) that are dual-purpose and not of a specific type (dairy or beef). Beef is mostly from cattle reared by the Fulani and the bulk of the beef consumed in the South comes from the North because of the limiting effect of trypanosomiasis on cattle production in the South.

It is estimated that more than two million heads of cattle are slaughtered annually. Central slaughtering is limited and not well organized and significant numbers of animals are slaughtered in small scattered slaughter slabs on a daily basis.

Mechanical slaughtering and processing are almost non-existent (except one privately managed in Lagos central abattoir) despite the availability of facilities.

This is probably due to the preponderance of traditional/religious slaughtering, which may be difficult to adapt to mechanical slaughtering.

The marketing system is not organized and beef demanded by consumers is not based on any grading system, and purchase is by bargaining with offals usually bought at higher prices than meat.

Cattle are supplied to large or heavily populated cities (with the very high demand) such as Ibadan and Lagos by Hausa/Fulani cattle dealers by arranging purchases from the north through their agents.

The cattle are sold to wholesale butchers who sell to retail butchers. The market is characterized by multiple levels of middlemen. Cattle are also sold for slaughter along trade and/or trek routes.

Fattening of cattle for sale through a feedlot system, where it exists, is severely restricted to a few individuals.

The sources and market for mutton (sheep meat), and goat meat are similar to that of cattle because the Hausa/Fulani rear them as well. They are less in demand than beef except on festive occasions.

There is also no specific preference for a particular quality or grade of meat, the purchase is by bargaining, and meat is not sold by weight in most places.

The production and market for poultry meat and pork are mostly located in the south and are better organized. The animals are raised intensively by large, medium, and small farms.

Large and medium farms supply poultry meat frozen directly or through contractors to institutions such as shopping malls, supermarkets, eateries, hotels, schools, etc. Small farmers supply live birds to the local market.

Large farms may also have sale outlets for their products. Nevertheless, there is a large dilution of the local supply with frozen chicken and turkey meat smuggled into the country, which is sold in local markets and small scattered retail outlets.

Pork is produced almost exclusively in the south because of religious concerns in the North. Pork is sold fresh in local markets and frozen in supermarkets. Poultry to a larger extent is sold by weight more than pork and beef.

In conclusion, the knowledge of the existing form and deficiencies in the structure of the meat, egg, and milk industries is important in order to create awareness of the challenges against a proper structure and development of appropriate solutions.

This may provide opportunities to take advantage of the very high (or unsatisfied) demand for the products from these industries

2. Milk Industry and Dairy Products: Dairy is a significant category encompassing milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt. These products are rich in essential nutrients like calcium and protein. Dairy is a branch of agriculture that involves milk production from milk-type animals, especially dairy cattle.

Milk production can be grouped into systems comprising, transhumance pastoralists (Fulani herdsmen moving from place to place) collection and processing, government collection and processing plants, and private sector collection and/or processing plants.

The government and private sector plants are more organized than the pastoral system.

The Fulani control most of the cattle (> 90%). They drive their cattle along established routes in search of water and pasture during the dry season.

The Fulani are either strictly nomadic, semi-nomadic or settled in communities where there is a constant supply of pasture and water. Those settled are fewer than the semi- and strictly nomadic.

Milk produced by their cattle is mainly for consumption and the remnant is processed by their women into products such as nono (sour milk), kindirmo (thicker nono), maishanu (local butter), cuku (Fulani cheese) and wara (Yoruba cheese).

The women take these products to markets and commercial transport transit points in the communities where they are settled or semi-settled. In spite of the potentially high volume of milk obtainable from this source, most of it is wasted and not available for commercial application because of the lack of organization of milk collection and processing.

There is little or no penetration in the urban markets for most of the products where premium value can be given. Another problem is the lack of standardization of products and worries about wholesomeness or safety. Proper organization of this sector would be most significant to national dairy development efforts.

Government involvement in dairy dates to before and after independence, when cattle ranches were established all over the country with local and exotic dairy cattle. Milk plants were attached to these ranches for the collection and processing of milk.

However, these plants were not viable because they were very limited in both absolute and utilized capacity, not properly managed, and probably because there was a lack of an effective national dairy development plan.

Nevertheless, current plans involve the development of a proper dairy development program and partnership with private dairy processing companies in establishing collection plants in areas where the Fulani are settled. Most of the milk and milk products obtainable are from commercial private companies.

These products are made mainly from imported powdered milk, which is reconstituted for the production of a variety of products such as powdered milk, infant formula, evaporated milk, flavored milk, yoghurt, ice cream, butter, and cheese.

Few of these companies have cattle ranches where they process collected milk with or without the addition of milk from the Fulani. Other companies do not have cattle ranches but just import powdered milk and finished milk products for sale.

These companies have well-established marketing channels and their products are sold mostly in urban markets. Examples of these companies include Friesland-Campina (formerly WAMCO – West African Milk Company) and Fan Milk Company.

3. Egg Industry: Another essential category, eggs are a versatile ingredient used in various culinary applications. They are an excellent source of protein and other vital nutrients.

The egg industry comprises all the actors in egg production, distribution, and marketing. The typical egg value chain comprises egg production, trade, and consumption.

The egg processing sector is practically non-existent and eggs are sold in-shell despite that is the top egg producer in Africa and 19^th in the world.

Egg production ranges from highly organized systems to simple subsistence or scavenging systems.

The highly organized systems undertake intensive production where large numbers of laying chickens are raised in purpose-built hen houses where they are reared in cages or on the floor.

Carefully formulated feed is supplied and eggs are collected mechanically or manually. The chickens reared are hybrids that have been genetically bred and imported. Few organizations are involved in the distribution and sale of hybrids and they are sold as day-old chicks or point-of-lay chickens.

Local chickens are not used commercially for egg production. However, there are plans to develop and introduce a local breed called, Shika Brown.

Most of the chickens used even in the less organized systems are hybrids, although, in the scavenging systems more indigenous chickens are used the objective is not commercial.

The scavenging system involves chickens that are left to roam and seek (scavenge) their food, and there is no purpose-built shelter or care.

In between the well-organized and scavenging systems are small- to medium-scale systems where chickens are kept in the backyard or on dedicated farms. The numbers of chickens range from hundreds to few thousand.

Feed for the chickens is either self-formulated or purchased from feed manufacturers. Health care is provided by veterinarians or self. There is no strict veterinarian control on egg production.

Eggs are sold directly to the market or through middlemen or distributors that have their own marketing channels. Eggs are sold in the shell and processing into products such as liquid, frozen, or powdered eggs is absent.

Such products are imported into the country by industries that require them. Eggs are sold mostly in trays of 30 eggs each or in units according to purchasing power.

2. Secondary Animal Products

These products are derived from primary animal products through processing or manufacturing:

1. Processed Meats: Think sausages, bacon, and deli meats. These undergo various methods of preservation and flavor enhancement.

2. Cheese Varieties: Cheese comes in a myriad of forms and flavors, from the mildness of mozzarella to the robustness of blue cheese. Each type involves distinct processing methods.

3. Yogurt-Based Products: Beyond the plain yogurt, there are diverse derivatives like flavored yogurts, smoothies, and frozen yogurt.

3. Industrial By-products

These are often not intended for direct human consumption but play crucial roles in various industries:

1. Gelatin: Extracted from animal collagen, gelatin finds use in the food industry for gelling agents and in the pharmaceutical industry for encapsulation.

2. Tallow and Lard: Fats obtained from animals, often used in soap and candle production, as well as in certain cooking applications.