Rapid urbanization and population expansion, coupled with sustained income growth and the
emergence of an urban African middle class are triggering an increase in the consumption of
animal protein in Zambia. The sustained increase in the consumption of animal proteins
creates a host of new development opportunities to synergistically link small-scale livestock
producers into economic growth processes from which they have largely been excluded. In
Zambia the beef market is currently segmented between standard beef produced by
smallholder farmers under generally low intensity production system, and choice beef
produced primarily by commercial farmers and fattened in feedlots. Standard beef targets
low-income groups in urban as well as rural markets and makes up 80% of total beef demand
in the country. However, the standard beef market is characterized by high levels of seasonal
supply fluctuations, leading to significant seasonal variations in consumer prices. The drastic
seasonal supply variations in the standard beef market are considered by industry experts to
be the greatest obstacle to improving the performance of the beef market and limit the
potential of the sector to act as an engine of growth for smallholder producers. Therefore, this
study is motivated by a desire to understand the factors that underpin the sharp seasonal
fluctuations in beef supplies from the smallholder sector in Zambia. We explore these factors
through a value chain analysis approach.