Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research
 

Academic Research Journal of Agricultural Science and Research 

Vol. 4(6), pp. 245-254. November, 2016.

ISSN: 2360-7874 

 DOI: 10.14662/ARJASR2016.031

Full Length Research

Grazing pressure and trends of livestock production: A Case of Gudoberet watershed, North Shewa, central highland of Ethiopia

Wuletaw Mekuria^1*, Workneh Negatu², Kindu Mekonnen³

¹ Centre for Rural Development, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia

² Centre for Rural Development, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Ethiopia

³ International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

*Corresponding author, Email address: wuletaw.m@gmail.com  or wuletaw.mekuria@aau.edu.et

Accepted 24 October 2016

This study was carried out in Gudoberet watershed, North Shewa Zone of Amhara National Regional State, Ethiopia. The objectives of this study were to diagnose trends and patterns of livestock production and to estimate grazing pressure in the study area. Heads of 211 households were interviewed to evaluate livestock production trends and feeding systems in the farming system. Results showed that 92.4% of smallholders engaged in livestock production that played a significant role for the source of income and draught power in the watershed. Although grassland has increased at the rate of 2.1% per year, livestock population has an increasing trend of 5.5% per year. The major feed resources in the watershed were crop residue and aftermath (38.7%), natural grazing (29.9%), grass species (19.0%), local residues (9.9%), agro-industrial byproducts (2.5%), and some forage shrubs. Tethering, strip foraging, free access, and rotational grazing were the main feeding systems. The estimated quantity of available feed was less than the annual requirements with grazing pressure value of 1.42. Feed shortage, low livestock productivity, and crop-livestock competition were the major constraints in the study watershed. Thus, technical support from various institutions and further research in livestock nutrition can minimize livestock production challenges.

Key words: Feed balance, Feeding strategy, Production pattern, Smallholder

 

How to cite this article: Mekuria W, Negatu W, Mekonnen K (2016). Grazing pressure and trends of livestock production: A Case of Gudoberet watershed, North Shewa, central highland of Ethiopia. Acad. Res. J. Agri. Sci. Res. 4(6): 245-254

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