Opportunities and constraints for overcoming dry season livestock feed shortages in communal semi-arid rangelands of Northern Tanzania: A case of Longido District

摘要

Assessmentofopportunitiesandconstraintsfortacklingtheproblemofdryseasonslivestockfeedshortage(DSLFS)wasconductedinLongidodistrict,Arusha,TanzaniainMarch2014.TherationaleforconductingthisstudywastocontributetoabetterunderstandingoftheinfluentialfactorsforpersistenceofDSLFSprobleminTanzaniacommunalsemi-aridrangelands.Inaddition,thestudyaimedtoidentifythepotentialopportunitiesforcurbingDSLFSprobleminLongidodistrictandelsewhere.Datacollectionmethodsincludedstructuredquestionnairesforhouseholdsurveys,checklistsforkeyinformantsinterviewingandresearcher'sfieldobservations.Atotalof90respondentswererandomlyselectedandinterviewedfromfour(4)pastoralvillagesnamelyKiserian,Mairowa,NgoswakandTingatinga.DatawereanalyzedbyusingSPSS20computerprogram.Majordriversforpastureinadequacywereprolongeddroughts(27%),increasedcropcultivationinrangelands(21%)andhighstockingrates(18.3%).Thetimecattlespentforgrazingduringdryandwetseasonsdifferedsignificantly(P=0.03).Thetimerangelivestockspentforgrazingwas7-8hrsand10-12hrs,inthewetanddryseasonsrespectively.Thedistancethelivestockwalkedtopasturedifferedsignificantly(P0.01)betweenwet(1-4Km)anddry(8-14Km)seasons.Thetimelivestockspentwalkingtoandfrowateringpointsdifferedsignificantlybetweenwetanddryseasons(P0.01),thetimerangebeinglessthan0.5hrandupto11hrsrespectively.IdentifiedopportunitiesforovercomingtheDSLFSproblemincludeplentifulcommunalgrazingland(32.1%),abundantbrowseresources(21.1%)andexistenceofstrongtraditionalleadership(17.3%).MajorconstraintsforovercomingtheDSLFSproblemwerelowanderraticrainfalls(26.1%),fearoffreeridersduetocommunalgrazing(23.17%)andlowawarenessonrangemanagementduetoinadequateextensionservices(20.7%).ItisconcludedthatlivestockfeedshortageisabigprobleminLongidodistrictespeciallyfromAugusttoNovemberinwhichanimalproductivitydeclinesduetosparsepastureandwaterresources.Itisrecommendedthatconservationofindigenousfoddertreesshouldbeundertakenduetotheirimportanceinprovidingfeedresourcesatcriticaldroughttimes.Moreover,livestockpoliciesshouldpromoterangemanagementthrougheducationprovision,securinglandtenureofcommunalgrazingareasforfosteringrotationalgrazing,selectivebushcontrolandrangereseeding.