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There are several types of livestock production and management systems in Somalia, depending on a number of factors such as the location, availability of labour, the size and types of livestock raised.

However, in general, there are two main production systems. One is based on nomadic pastoralism and the other on agro-pastoralism.

Nomadic pastoralism is the system practiced by most of the rural population and revolves around the seasonal migration of herders in continual search of pasture and water. The movement is often organized and follows a regular pattern in which clan-based groupings have their traditional graz- ing areas and/or common watering points and temporary camps. Most pastoralists prefer to keep mixed species of animals, a strategy that has numerous benefits, including the ability to exploit different rangelands, produce different products, and have different survival and recovery rates following frequent droughts in Somalia.

Agro-pastoralism is characterized by the maintenance of a permanent home base in a farming area. Here, farmers need to own large herds and large pieces of land. The main reason for the i crease in agro-pastoralism in Somalia today is that traditional nomads can no longer rely on live- stock alone for their livelihood.