91 per cent ut the averaqe total c1urir,q the period 1977-1980. Chad, r-;ali, l'lauritania, ~lamibia ar.C. the Niqer expcrted about 72 per cent cf Africa 's total cattle experts,· a n<.l cattle experts ac­ counted for about 35 per cent cf total expert earrir.qs fer Chad ana l'·lali. It should be ncted tnat mest ef these trarsacticr:s oc­ cur !Jetv<een African cour;tries ·thenselves; there is little trade cutside the reqicn. 63. The three r.tair: expcrters of meat {fresh, chilled or frc:.::en), Botswana, I•iadaqascar arrl Zir.Lrebv.'e, accc,uDtec fer abcut SS' per cent cf Africa's tctal r.1eat exports. t-iali, r-,auritiania, Nan;ibia, Somalia a,nd the Sudan toqether a cccu r.ted f cr about 80 per ce r:t cf' Afri_ca 's experts cf sheep a r.d qoa ts. 64. Between 1977 aLd 1980, the value of ii:·.pc·rts cf livestock products and by-products averaqed $1,659 millicr, a year. l'lilk imports made up more than 43 per cent of the tctal. Detween 1978 and 1980, the feur major cattle-ir.1pcrtinq ccur.trics {the Ivery Ccast, Lesctho, the Libya r: Aral> Jamalliriya a rx] l~ioeria) acccur,ted for 63 per cent of total iwpcrts. The Ivery Coast, the Libyan AraL Jamahiriya ar,d Niqeria ac::ourtec fer mere thai 7S per cert cf Africa's impcrts ci sheep and qc..a.ts, whil8 abc·ut 72 p~r cent cf the fresh, chilled or frczen meat vJas impcrt.<eJ by the six major impcrtir.q ccurtries {l\lqeria, Eqypt, tLe Ivery Cc<.~st, the Libya r, l'.rctb Jarr:ahiriya, Niqcria and Reunicll). 49 E/ECA/cr-;. 9/5 CS. From 1977 to 1980, Africa experienced a deficit ir. its balance of trade ir, livestock products ar:d by-products, \-Jith the deficit qrowinq at an averaqe rate of 21 per cent. a year.· l.r, il7l­ prcveme nt in the bala nee of traue \·Tas observed i ri 1 S79, but the 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the trade and commerce of livestock products and by-products in Africa, specifically the export and import of cattle, sheep, and goat products, as well as the deficit in the balance of trade. It also provides some statistics on the value of livestock products and by-products, and the major countries involved in the trade. Given the focus on trade, commerce, and statistics, I hypothesize that the most fitting category is likely to be related to economics.

**Category**
Agriculture, forestry and fishing, International trade