African Journal of
Agricultural Research

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Agric. Res.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1991-637X
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJAR
  • Start Year: 2006
  • Published Articles: 6860

Full Length Research Paper

Assessment on challenges and opportunities of goat farming system in Adami Tulu, Arsi Negelle and Fantale districts of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia

Arse Gebeyehu
  • Arse Gebeyehu
  • Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center, P. O. Box 35, Batu, Ethiopia.
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Feyisa Hundessa
  • Feyisa Hundessa
  • Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center, P. O. Box 35, Batu, Ethiopia.
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Gurmessa Umeta
  • Gurmessa Umeta
  • Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center, P. O. Box 35, Batu, Ethiopia.
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Merga Muleta
  • Merga Muleta
  • Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center, P. O. Box 35, Batu, Ethiopia.
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Girma Debele
  • Girma Debele
  • Adami Tulu Agricultural Research Center, P. O. Box 35, Batu, Ethiopia.
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  •  Accepted: 23 November 2012
  •  Published: 31 January 2013

Abstract

 

This study was conducted in Adami Tulu, Arsi Negelle and Fantale districts of Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia. The objective of this study was to assess and identify the challenges and opportunities of  goat production under farmers’ management system. For this study, 6 Peasant Associations (PA: is the smallest administrative unit in Ethiopian government structure),  2 from each district,  were selected. From each PA, a group of 15 to 20 farmers were organized at each study site  and different types of Participatory Rural Appraisal were conducted. The data  collected were analyzed using PRA tool of pair-wise rankings  and results expressed in simple descriptive statistics. Goat production system in these study areas were  identified as mixed crop-livestock production systems  in Arsi Negelle and Adami Tulu districts. Farmers in the Fantale administrative district practiced  pastoral and agro-pastoral production systems. Goat production purposes were also identified as mainly to provide milk and meat for home consumption and cash income generation. The rankings of these purposes varied across  study areas. Goat fattening is a  recent appearing practice  in these  rural communities. Farmers in the Arsi Negelle and Adami Tulu districts practiced  traditional fattening system  mostly from July to  September. A  common operation  in traditional fattening system was castration, which improves  body condition. Farmers identified  feed shortage from November to December, disease incidences , predatory attacks and water shortage as challenges to  goat production. Farmers’ major sources of income were mainly  crop and  animal production (goats,  sheep and cattle). Animal  feeds were mostly  available  from late May to October. Great oopportunities exists for goat production and productivity improvement in surveyed  administrative districts, in which the environment was  still conducive and animal  productivity can be improved by  improved  management.

 

Key words: Goat fattening, Income sources, feed shortage.

Abbreviation

Abbreviation: PA, Peasant association.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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