FEAST FOR DAIRY PRODUCTION Presented by Liyusew Ayalew, Gezahegn Kebede, Getu Kitaw, Fekede Feyissa

INTRODUCTION Name of a village: Gudino Jitu Name of district: Ad’a Woreda Country: Ethiopia Number of households in survey area: approx 800 Household size- Range (Average 9.5) Number of participants: 3 males and 2 females Date: 14/3/2012 Duration of FEAST survey : 3h 45m

LAND SIZE AND PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION OF HOUSE HOLDS IN THE VILLAGE Category of farmer Average land size (in ha) % of HH that fall in to the category Landless028.5 Small farmerUp to Medium farmer Large farmer>217.5

GENERAL FARMING SYSTEM Farm size  Farm size range ha  Average land holding ha.  Land holding for respondent farmers ranges between ha (Avg ha)

GENERAL FARMING… Cropping seasons  Long rain season - covering from June to October Irrigation availability  Irrigation is available for 75% of the households in the village Labor availability  Labor is available in the form of family and hired labor  It is most required during peak farming time (August to January)  Labor is paid in cash (34 birr/day) and meal to be served with local brewery drink (Tela) together estimated to cost 16 birr/day. Thus the total daily cost per person is 50 birr.  Several people leave daily to the nearby city Debre Zeit for non- farm related activities (to work in the nearby flower farms) and schooling. Remark: Critical labor shortage was reported during peak agricultural activities (August to January)

CROPS GROWN IN THE AREA

GENERAL FARMING… Livestock Status Livestock SpeciesUse% of HH owning the Spps. Avg. No. of animals per HH Local dairy cowsDraught, Manure, fuel, home consumption1002 Improved dairy cowsSale, home consumption, manure, draught7.41 Draught cattleThreshing, ploughing, transportation982.5 Fattening cattleSale (income), to buy replacement draught stock 201 SheepHome consumption252 GoatHome consumption55 Poultry (village)Sale, home consumption455 Poultry (commercial)Sale, home consumption55 HorseTransportation, income (renting)61 DonkeysTransportation1005

GENERAL FARMING… Cash/Credit availability  Not readily available  But there are two saving and credit associations  Need to be a member of that association to get credit  Tax rate is high Land availability  Since land for cultivation is in short supply no fallowing is practiced  Three cropping season per year using irrigation Input availability  All inputs (improved seeds, breeds for LVs, fertilizers, vet services and drugs, pesticides and herbicides etc.) are there but extremely short supply

MANAGEMENT OF LIVESTOCK SPECIES Animal management  All farmers do have housing/barn but the materials from which the house are built greatly vary (plastic sheet, corrugated iron and thatch roof while the floor is built from materials that range from soil, stone to concrete)  Generally crossbreds are used in a well constructed housing  Stall feeding is used for crossbreds  Open grazing is practiced for all other LVs spps  supplementation only used for draft and lactating crossbred cows  Have theoretical background about some of the feed processing practices but lack practical exposures (Chopping, urea treatment etc.) Veterinary service  Services is provided by local (Ethino vets), gov’t and private sectors.  Price requested by local is 10 birr/treatment; Private vets demand birr depending the type and severity of the disease and gov’t vets charge 20 birr/treatment.  Private is easily accessible but expensive while gov’t service not easily accessible (on week ends) but relatively cheaper.

MANAGEMENT OF LIVESTOCK … Breed improvement  AI service not available at village level  AI technician available at woreda level but poorly utilized owning to: – Lack of transportations – Irregularities in liquid nitrogen  Price of AI service is 25 birr/cow  Rate of repeat service on average is 3  No bull service using both local and improved bulls (formerly, birr for improved bull service) Fodder crops grown  The major fodder crop grown is oats (Avena sativa) with an average of 0.25 ha per household. Napier is also grown but in very small portions of land.

NUTRIENT CONTRIBUTION FROM DIFFERENT FEED RESOURCES

PROBLEMS, ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE LIVESTOCK SYSTEM Major problemsOpportunities High cost and poor availability of Improved breed Strengthen AI and bull services High cost, poor availability & quality feedsSupply improved forage seeds/plantings Smooth linkage between producers & farmers Practical exposure to feed processing technologies Organizing into unions/co-operatives Poorly accessible AI serviceFacilitating transportations Supply of liquid nitrogen Locating AI crevice men at village level Poor marketing price obtained from output sales Sale price for livestock output must be fixed proportionally considering price increase for inputs Poor and costly animal health servicesProper housing & sanitation, destocking, appropriate feeding, regular vaccination

PROBLEMS, ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES… Pair-wise comparison of major problems ComparisonsWhich problems is more important Breed availability Vs feed2 Breed availability Vs AI service1 Breed availability Vs Marketing problem4 Breed Availability Vs Poor & costly vet service1 Feed vs. AI crevice2 Feed vs. Marketing2 Feed vs. Poor & costly vet service2 AI crevice vs. Marketing problem4 AI crevice vs. Poor & costly vet service3 Marketing problem Vs Poor & costly vet service4

PROBLEMS, ISSUES, OPPORTUNITIES… Farmers rating of the most important problems No. of times the problem was considered the most important Improved breed Feed availability & quality Poorly accessible AI service Poor marketing Poor and costly animal health services 2413

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