Evaluation of Livestock Feed Resources and Feed Balance in Selected Districts of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia

The study was conducted in Bonke, Mirab Abaya and Dita districts of Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia with the objectives to assess available, opportunity, constraints and copying strategy of livestock feed production and estimate of feed balance. Primary and secondary data sources and field observations, key informants interview, focus group discussions and individual interview was employed to generate data. The survey data was stratified into districts, coded and analyzed usingthe Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 20) windows 10 and general linear model procedure were used to analyze data . Statistical variation of categorical data (perception data) was tested by means of cross tabulation. In study districts, the palatable and perennial fodder trees were Erythrina brucei, Arundinaria alpine, Ficus sur, Dombya torrida and Hagenia abyssinica were supported major feeds for livestock. The major opportunity related to livestock feed productionin study districts was presence of different feed resource types, distinctive agro-ecologies and accessible of crop residues, but the major constraints related to livestock feed production were land scarcity, shortage of dry season forages and land degradation due to erosion. Minimize livestock number, conserving optional feeds and purchasing optional feeds were major copying strategies of feed resources in study districts. The overall mean of feed supply in terms of DM yield per year to TLU was found to be 5.782tons of DM /Hh/ annual with negative feed balance of 5.47tons. Based on the findings of the present study, low productivity of livestock in Bonke, Dita and Mirab Abaya districts is clearly associated with the meager availability of feed resources. Hence, in order to alleviate these problems, alternative feed production technologies should be undertaken, such as, farmers should practice forage development on their own crop land and collect crop residues during crop harvesting times and conserve it under shed, the nutritive value of different types of fodder trees and shrubs should be further determined in the future, feed storage methods, particularly hay and silage during an excess of feed resources available should be practiced.