Land, farming and livestock
The Somali goat: breed, milk and trade
The Somali goat is the main goat breed of the Somali lands, kept in Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and north-eastern Kenya. It is raised mostly for meat, is usually white with short hair, and both males and females have horns. It survives drought well and can give one to three kilograms of milk a day even with little water. Goats and sheep together are Somalia's largest livestock export by number.
The breed
The Somali is a breed, or a group of breeds, of domestic goat. It is found in Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and north-eastern Kenya, and is used mainly for meat (Wikipedia, Somali goat).
The goats have short ears and short hair. The coat is usually white, sometimes with spots or patches. Both males and females usually have horns (same source).
Built for drought
Somali goats are drought tolerant. When milked, each can give one to three kilograms of milk a day, even when water is scarce (Wikipedia, Somali goat).
How many?
Three countries report the Somali goat to the FAO's Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS): Kenya, Somalia and Yemen. None of the three reports population numbers, so DAD-IS lists its conservation status as unknown (Wikipedia, Somali goat).
Goats are counted with sheep in export figures. The Central Bank recorded 5.9 million sheep and goats exported in 2024, out of more than 6.4 million animals in all (Central Bank of Somalia, Annual Report 2025). In 2016 the Ministry of Livestock said 5.5 million animals had been sold abroad that year by late November (Bloomberg, in Gulf Times, 26 November 2016).
Where they go
Somali livestock goes live by sea mainly to Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Kuwait (Gulf Times, 2016). Sales peak before the Hajj. Estimates of the Hajj season's share of yearly exports range from 52 to 70 percent (Mtimet and others, Global Food Security, 2021). Animals pass through quarantine stations built by Saudi importers at Berbera, where they are inspected, sampled, tested and vaccinated before a health certificate is issued (same source). For the companies that run these stations, see Berbera livestock quarantine companies.
Why buyers want them
In 2016 Mohamed Omar, director-general of the Ministry of Livestock, said traditional herding gives Somali meat "a unique taste", and credited vaccination by veterinary workers with keeping animals healthy and raising sales. Over the five years before, the FAO had worked with the government, with EU and UK money, on livestock infrastructure, vaccination and fodder (Bloomberg, in Gulf Times, 26 November 2016). The same report said Somalia already supplied Egypt and was about to start exporting to Malaysia.
Related pages
Sources
- Wikipedia, Somali goat · en.wikipedia.org
- Central Bank of Somalia, Annual Report 2025 · centralbank.gov.so
- Bloomberg, in Gulf Times, 26 November 2016 · gulf-times.com
- Mtimet and others, Global Food Security, 2021 · pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Toosoo!
Calankii is made by Toosoo, which works for one united, prosperous Somalia.
Can you help with The Somali goat: breed, milk and trade? Tell us what you can give.
I want to help with this
Where this matters
- Burco (Burao) and TogdheerTogdheer is the northern region around Burco (Burao), with about 894,874 people including Buuhoodle.
- Laascaanood (Las Anod) and SoolSool is a region in the north with Las Anod (Laascaanood) as its capital and about 571,000 people.
- Ceerigaabo (Erigavo) and SanaagSanaag is a region on the northern coast with Erigavo (Ceerigaabo) as its capital and about 446,000 people.
- Boosaaso (Bosaso) and BariBari is Puntland's north-east region, with the port city of Bosaso (Boosaaso) as its capital and about 1.28 million people.
- Garoowe (Garowe) and NugaalNugaal is the region around Garoowe (Garowe), Puntland's capital, with about 656,910 people in three districts.
- Gaalkacyo (Galkayo) and MudugMudug is a region of central Somalia with about 1.5 million people, split between Puntland in the north and Galmudug in the south.
- Garbahaarrey (Garbaharey) and GedoGedo is the south-western region on the borders with Kenya and Ethiopia, with Garbahaarrey as its capital and about 1 million people.
Same era
- Australia18,401 people of Somali ancestry and 8,101 born in Somalia lived in Australia at the 2021 Census, more than half in Victoria. History, work, issues.
- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
Keep reading
- Pastoralism in Somalia: how herding worksSomali 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.
- How many livestock does Somalia have?Somalia's livestock in numbers: herd size by species, what the animals produce, how many die each year, exports, and why sources disagree.
- Camels in Somalia: the world's largest herdCamels in Somalia in facts: herd size, share of the world's camels, camel milk, exports to the Gulf, the 2016 to 2018 export fall at Berbera, and the first camel milk yoghurt factory.
- Blackheaded Somali sheep: the breed behind the livestock tradeThe Blackheaded Somali sheep: what it looks like, where it is kept, why it suits dry land, its role in exports through Berbera and Bosaso, and the breeds descended from it.
- Cattle in Somalia: Boran and the Somali breedsCattle in Somalia: numbers, where they are kept, the Boran breed and the Somali Boran, the large red cattle traded to Kenya, cattle exports and milk.
- The camel milk trade: from herds to city marketsCamel milk in Somalia: how much is produced and what it is worth, the abakaar women traders who supply Mogadishu, seasons and prices, milk 'tourism', and new dairies and yoghurt.