# Pastoralism in Somalia: how herding works

> Somali pastoralism in facts: how many people herd, what they earn, milk and meat, seasons and movement, herd splitting, risks from drought and disease, and the move to towns.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/economy/pastoralism-in-somalia/
Last checked: 2026-11-13
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who herds

The FAO estimates about **seven million** pastoralists and agro-pastoralists in Somalia. Agro-pastoralists farm as well as keep animals ([FAO Statistics Working Paper 23-37, Otte and others, 2023](https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8138en)). In 2016 the Somali Chamber of Commerce said more than half of the country's people relied on livestock for food and income ([Gulf Times, 26 November 2016](https://www.gulf-times.com/story/522520/worlds-biggest-camel-producer-targets-mideast-exports)). In 2020 the UN said livestock involved up to 60 percent of the workforce ([UN Somalia, 19 June 2020](https://somalia.un.org/en/node/50359)).

## What herding earns

- Herders earn about **USD 3 billion** a year: two-thirds from milk, one-third from meat, mostly sold as live animals. That is roughly **USD 430 per person** a year ([FAO, 2023](https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8138en)).
- Livestock made up about **60 percent** of GDP in 2013 to 2016 and **80 percent** of export earnings in normal years (same source, citing the World Bank and FAO, 2018).
- Poorer herding families also earn from firewood, charcoal, loans, gifts and money sent from relatives abroad (same source).

For herd sizes, see [How many livestock does Somalia have?](/en/economy/livestock-numbers-in-somalia/).

## Seasons and movement

The Somali year has four seasons: the main **Gu** rains (April to June), the dry **Xagaa** (hagaa), the short **Deyr** rains (October to December) and the long dry **Jilaal** ([FAO GIEWS, Country Brief Somalia, 2026](https://www.fao.org/giews/countrybrief/country/SOM/pdf/SOM.pdf) for Gu and Deyr; [Herren, ODI Pastoral Development Network, 1990](http://cdn-odi-production.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/5369.pdf) for jilaal and hagaa). A camel may give as little as 1 litre of milk a day in jilaal and about 5 litres in the late Gu ([Herren, 1990](http://cdn-odi-production.s3.amazonaws.com/media/documents/5369.pdf)).

Families split their herds. Cattle and camels are often sent with herders to distant grazing areas where there is thought to be more pasture ([FAO, 2023](https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8138en)).

## Risks

Drought is the largest risk. Cattle die first, sheep and goats next, camels last. In 2016/17 about 4 million extra animals died, 2.2 million people were displaced, and about **1 million people** left herding after selling their breeding animals for food ([FAO, 2023](https://doi.org/10.4060/cc8138en)). See [Drought and livestock losses](/en/economy/drought-and-livestock-losses/).

Disease is the second: outbreaks have led Gulf buyers to ban Somali animals several times. See [Gulf bans on Somali livestock](/en/economy/gulf-bans-on-somali-livestock/) and [Livestock vaccination](/en/economy/livestock-vaccination-ppr-and-ccpp/).

## Related pages

- [Camels in Somalia](/en/economy/camels-in-somalia/)
- [Camel milk trade](/en/economy/camel-milk-trade/)
- [Xeer: customary law](/en/society/xeer-customary-law/)

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