This study assessed the status of improved forage production, utilization and forage technologyadoption in the H/Guduru W/Zone. Both primary and secondary data were collected from three districts,namely, Guduru, Horro and Amuru. The multistage sampling technique was employed and a total of 180households (HHs) were selected and interviewed on household characteristics, improved forage productionand utilization, cattle breeds, herd structure and challenges of improved forage production. The main farmingsystem in all districts was crop-livestock production. The mean grazing landholding (0.75 ha) for the HHs in thedistricts was 21.95% of the average total landholding of (3.58 ha) households. The land occupied by improvedforages in the districts ranged 0.1 ha to 0.18 ha with the highest for Amuru district. Horro breed is the dominant(99.4%) cattle breed in the study sites, while some HHs have Horro × Jersey and Horro × HF crosses of cattle.Chloris gayana, Pennisetum purpureum, Pennisetum pedicellatum, Vicia sativa and Avena sativa are themajor improved forage crops grown in the study sites. Generally, C. gayana grass is the most widely grownforage species in all study sites, covering approximately 13.8 ha of land followed by Pennisetum pedicellatum(3.76 ha) and Pennisetum purpureum (2.94 ha). Free grazing, cut and carry systems and haymaking are theutilization mechanisms of improved forages in the study sites. The major problems of forage production are thelack of forage seeds, lack of awareness, information and land scarcity. Providing training on forage productionand utilization, supplying with forage seeds and strengthening extension services will help livestock producersin the study areas to solve the improved forage production and utilization problems.
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