Small ruminant production in coffee-based mixed crop-livestock system of Western Ethiopian Highlands: Status and prospectus for improvement

摘要

ThestudywasconductedinGomadistrictofJimmaZoneofEthiopiawiththeobjectivesofdocumentingthereasonswhyfarmersincoffeedominantmixed-farmingsystemsofwesternEthiopiakeepsmallruminants,andidentifyingtheconstraintsandopportunitiesforimprovementofthissector.Resultsarebasedondiagnosticsurveyof160samplehouseholds,groupdiscussionsandpersonalobservation.Thestudydistrictwasstratifiedintothreegroupsbasedonflockdistributionas:sheepdominating,goatdominatingandmixedflocksites.nbsp;Theaveragelandholdingperhouseholdwas1.93ha.InGomawherecoffeeandchatarethemajorcashsourcesforfarmers,smallruminantarealsoprimarilykeptforcashgenerationasreportedby94%ofthesampledhouseholds.Thesecondmainreasonforkeepingsmallruminantinthestudyareawasforsavingmainlyintimeofcoffeefailure.Keepingsmallruminantsasasourceofmanurewasthethirdimportantreason.Fromtheinterviewedhouseholds,59.4,32.1,23.5,and19.4%ofthemutilizecommunalgrazing,aftermathgrazing,roadsidegrazing,andriversidegrazing,respectivelyfortheiranimalasasourcesoffeed.Mostsmallruminantsareeithertetheredorherdedalltheseasonsduetothecultivationofperennialcropsandpredators.Allsmallruminantsarehousedforprotectionfromadverseweatherconditionsandpredators.Themajorproblemsforsmallruminantproductionandmarketingwere:feedandgrazinglandshortage,lackofinput,predators,diseasesandparasitesandmarketingproblems.nbsp;Inordertoexploitthecurrentgrowingdemandofsmallruminantmeatatlocalandinternationalmarkets,researchanddevelopmentinterventionsarerequiredwithregardtotheidentificationofalternativefeedresourcesandstrategicfeedingmanagement,identificationofcausesofdiseasesandtheircontrolmethodsandimprovingmarketingefficiencythroughappropriatepolicy.