People working in Mali's meat and livestock sector express enthusiasm for a recent government initiative to encourage the processing and export of red meat by assigning it a label, "Mali Sogo", in a country that has hitherto exported much of its meat as live animals. Some are hopeful the initiative will provide a boost to the wider economy. "As soon as we have to contribute to the processing of meat here, it will contribute to the establishment of abattoirs and other small-scale or semi-industrial industries that will develop," says Abdoul Kariam Diamoutene, an economist. "Many other related products will develop as meat is processed locally." IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES