Social and economic feasibility of using selected indigenous browses as protein supplements for goats in Central Tanzania

摘要

Studieswereconductednbsp;toassessthesocialandeconomicfeasibilityofusingselectedbrowsesingoatfeedingincentralTanzania.Inthefirststudy,across-sectionalsurveywasconductedinfourvillagesofKongwaandMpwapwadistricts.Atotalof141households(farms)wereindividuallyvisitedinordertodeterminethefactorsinfluencingtheuseofnativeandexotictreespeciesforgoatfeeding.Resultsindicatedthatcommonindigenousbrowsesnbsp;includingAcaciatortilis,Ecboriumspp,Grewiaspp,Ficusspp,TamarindusindicaandLeucaenaleucocephalawerefedtogoatsandtheirimportancewasrankeddiferentlyamongfarmers(P0.01)betweendistricts.Palatabilitywasanimportantfactorasindicatedby29%oftherespondents(n=123).Otherfactorsnbsp;wereassociatedwithimprovedanimalconditions/health(28%)andmilkyieldsofdairygoats(18%).Inaseparateon-stationstudy,aneconomicanalysisoffeedingbrowseleafmealsshowedthattheuseofbrowse-basedsupplementswererelativelycheaperthantheuseofcottonseedcake(CSC).ThehighestprofitmarginwasobtainedwithT.indicaduetohigherlive-weightgain,followedbyLablab.Nevertheless,nbsp;workisnbsp;neededtotrainnbsp;farmerstoestablishnbsp;exogenousspeciesandtosustainablymanagenbsp;theabundantmultipurposeindigenoustreesandshrubs.nbsp;