TheImprovement ofTropical and Subtropical Rangelands

DROMEDARY PASTORALISM IN AFRIOA AND ARABIA 267
supply skins and, theoretically at least, wool. Knoess (1976), who
suggests that Mar paatoralists be made to sell camel wool, notes
that its UN is unknown in Ethiopia, and the same is true for the rest
of the Horn of Mrica. Skins are used by pastoralista for houaehold
utensils, whips, and sandals (which are sometimes exported).
MAllUTING
The only area in the world where camel pastoralism seems to be
predominantly subsistence-oriented is northern Kenya. Even there,
camel pastoralists rely to some extent on neighbors practicing hunting
or alternate forms of pastoralism. Most other camel pastoralists
depend on exchanging some form of goods or services with their
neighbors to obtain supplementary foodstuff from them. In IUch ~
cieties, camel milk continues to be an important food, but the diet
is not exclusively built on it. Although it has a pleasant taste, it is
not always acceptable to the consumer, and it has little or no market
outside the community of current or former camel herders. (Dahl and
Hjort, 1979)
It is difficult to ascertain the extent to which camel pastoralistl
in Africa and Arabia have traditionally been oriented towards a
meat market. Because of the long intervals between camel births,
it is difficult to regard any camel production as primarily meant to
supply meat for the market. Bulliet (1975) mentions brisk markets
for camel meat in Libya and Morocco, and in the 196Oe, when Asad
made his study of the Kababish of Sudan, the latter were engaged
in the export of camels to the Egyptian beef market, despite serious
legal restrictions, (Asad, 1970).
In 1970, Ibrahim and Cole (1978) noted that hardly any camels
were sold by the AI-Murrah Bedouin; the camel meat in urban
markets came from aged animals. By 1978, however, a majority of
the AI-Murrah the authors interviewed had been involved in such
sales.
In northern Kenya, prices rose considerably both for male and
female camels during the 19708, a fact that is usually explained by
increased Saudi Arabian demand. Swift (1979) also reports a recent
increase in the Somali camel export, not the least of which goes to
Saudi Arabia. However, it is not altogether clear that this is owing
to an increased demand for camel meat. Cole (1975) states that
although camel meat is no longer as popular as it once was, there is
now a great demand for pure-bred milk and riding camels among the