Assessment of Opportunities and Constraints of Small Ruminant Production and Marketing in Tahtay Adyabo District, Tigray, Ethiopia

Abstract

This study was aimed at assessment of opportunities and constraints of small ruminant production and marketing in TahtayAdyabo District of Tigray. The data were collected fromboth primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected from a randomly selected 138 sample households and 26 traders. The study showed that constraints hindering the development of small ruminant production were animal diseases (58.7%), inadequate animal health services (13%) shortage of feed (10.9%), shortage of land (9.4%), shortage of labor (5.1%) and predators (2.9%). On the marketing side, lack of livestock market information (57.98%), seasonality of small ruminant demand (29.71%), distance to livestock market (10.14%) and low market price for small ruminant (2.17%) are the major marketing problems of small ruminant producers. Unlicensed traders (61.5%), seasonality of supply (27%) and problem in information flow (11.5%) are the major marketing problems mentioned by traders.Therefore, provision of adequate veterinary services and drugs,developing and improving infrastructure, creation of awareness to farmers about improved forage species and supplementary feeding, provision of timely and accurate market information and enforced government rules and regulations on business registration and licensing are important interventions.