Cattle feed production constraint and opportunity in south-western Ethiopia

Abstract

The absence of updated information on the current status of the cattle feed bases and feed production practice is one the important cattle feed production determinant that has been affecting cattle production in Jinka town of South Omo. This study was aimed to investigate cattle feed basis, feed availability, feed production constraints and opportunities in the Alga Kebele. A face-to-face household survey was conducted by interviewing 31 purposively selected cattle keeper households from the Alga Kebele based on cattle and cattle feed production experiences. The qualitative data such as cattle feed basis, feed availability, type of grazing land, grazing land productivity, grazing land management practices, feed conservation method, improved forage production status and the extent of extension service in cattle feed production were analysed using non-parametric methods, while the means of the quantitative parameters such as age and sex of households, cattle number and categories and amount of land allocated for improved forage production were analysed by using parametric methods. The result showed that about 87.1% of cattle feed producers were male-headed, while 19.1% were female-headed. Almost all (96.8%) of respondents replied that natural pasture was the main cattle resource basis, while very few (3.2%) replied that crop-residue and crop aftermath were used as cattle feed bases. Most respondents (87.1%) reported that there was not enough feed production for cattle in the last five years