Review of agricultural production systems in eastern Africa in relation to food and nutrition security and climate change

The goal of this paper is to provide a unified resource for Eritrea, Djibouti, Somaliland, Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. For each country the review covers the topics of livestock production systems and agroecological zones, food and nutrition security, climate change, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) with a focus on the role of, or impact on, livestock systems. Each of these topics is broad and many excellent studies and reviews have been produced covering these topics either at the country level or for the entire East Africa region. It is the goal of this paper to provide an accessible introduction to these topics and to direct readers to the resources that exist for gathering detailed information on livestock production, food nutrition and security, climate change, GHG emissions and climate-smart livestock production in each country

Factors Influencing Adoption of Soil Conservation Measures in Southern Ethiopia: The Case of Gununo Area

Soil degradation is one of the most serious environmental problems in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian highlands have been experiencing declining soil fertility and severe soil erosion due to intensive farming on steep and fragile lands and other factors attributed to population pressure. This study used a binomial logit model to identify factors that determine adoption of physical soil conservation measures, namely soil bunds and fanyajuu in Southern Ethiopia, Gununo area. Data collected from a random sample of 120 heads of households were used to estimate the binomial logit model. The results show that adoption of soil conservation measures depends on a host of factors.Ab out 78 percent of the sample cases were correctly predicted using the model

Productive Performance of Crossbred Dairy Cattle

AbstractThis study was conducted to evaluate the productive performances of crossbreddairy cattle at Holetta agricultural research center’s dairy farm. A total of 6685performance records were used and analyzed to determine the effect of period ofcalving, season of calving, parity and genetic group. Parameters used as indicator ofproductive performances were lactation milk yield (LMY), daily milk yield (DMY)and lactation length (LL). The GLM procedure of SAS 2004 was used for analysis.The overall least square means and standard errors for Lactation milk yield (LMY),daily milk yield (DMY) and lactation length (LL) were 2204.05 ± 21.12 kg, 6.88 ±0.05 kg and 326.69 ± 2.03 days, respectively. Result of fixed effect analysis indicatedthat calving period, genetic group and parity were significantly (p<0.001) influencedall productive traits. LMY, DMY, and LL were sensitive to seasonal variation.Comparisons among the crosses revealed a clear-cut difference among the geneticgroups. Milk production in the first generation crosses increased more compared tosecond generations. There were marked decline in performance among 50% F1(Borena dam x Holstein Friesian sire), F2 (F1 dam x F1 sire) and F3 (F2 dam x F2sire) from 2203kg of milk to 1697 and 1522 kg, respectively. The 75% firstgeneration was superior LMY compared with other genetic groups and producedabout 34.2 %, 74.3%, 94.3% and 45.9% more milk than 50% F1, F2, F3 and 75%second generations, respectively. The higher milk yield of 75% first generation and50% F1 crosses from other genetic groups could be associated with higher heterosiseffect in F1, higher milk gene in 75% and longer lactation length. Based on theproductive performances evaluation, the results of LMY, DMY, and LL for highgrade (75% first generation) in the present study revealed that performances werecontinued to increase with increasing proportion of exotic gene

Performance of crossbred dairy cows suitable for smallholder production systems at Holetta Agricultural Research Centre

The present study was undertaken to investigate productive and reproductive performances of F1 crossbred cows to produce and develop improved dairy cattle breed at on station and back up the on farm crossbreeding program at Holetta Research Center (HRC). One hundred fifty three F1 crossbred heifers were used to study growth performances and 111 worldwide sire (WWS) and 42 Kality (NAIC) sire records were used to analyze the data. A total of 802 milk records out of which 711 from worldwide sire (WWS) milk records and 91 from Kality (NAIC) bulls’ milk records were used to analyze the milk production performances. Least squares means of growth traits in this study birth weight (BWT), average daily gain (ADG) of crossbred heifers was 24.83 ± 2.33 kg and ADG ranges from 0.437 ± 0.01 to 0.546 ± 0.02 kg respectively. Least squares mean for age at first service (AFS), age at first calving (AFC), calving interval (CI), and number of service per conception (SPC) were 26.4±0.8 months, 35.7±o.81 months, 500.32±2.92 to 395.64 ± 4.9 days, and 1.2 ± 0.2 to 2.37 ± 0.05 services, respectively. Lactation milk yield (LMY) obtained from this result reflected progressive trend from 1st to 5th parity (1874.65 ± 67.7 to 2582.69 ± 111.2 kg) and started declining thereafter. The declining trend observed after the 5th parity is the normal biological  phenomenon from dairy cows under normal conditions. The improvement gained from this result is the outcome of the of management procedures and practices followed which have accounted for 15.5 % of early calving of young heifers and 21 % in milk yield increments made from Frisian Boran (FB) crossbred cows at HARC. The overall observed growth, reproductive and milk yield performance of FB crossbred dairy cows at HARC has shown progressively significant improvement. Thus in order to continue with the crossbreeding for development of F1 50% crossbred dairy cows to maintain the on station and backup the on farm breeding activity there is a need to do intensive and proper performance evaluation based on defined breeding  objectives. Culling procedures to avoid milking cows beyond the 5th parity is important. Research centers have to put maximum efforts to improve routine  management activities to maintain performance evaluated animals at the centers at all levels.Keywords: Crossbred, heifers, dairy cows, performanc

Evaluation of response to super-ovulation, estrous synchronization and embryo transfer in local Zebu or crossbred dairy cattle

An experiment was conducted at Holetta and Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Centers dairy herd in 2011 to evaluate the number of embryos collected per super-ovulated donor cow, estrus rate (ER) and pregnancy rate (PR) of recipient cows/heifers after embryo transfer. For super-ovulation treatment a total of 19 Holstein Friesian (HF) x Boran crossbred cows were selected as embryo donors and treated with super-ovulation hormones. For embryo recipient about 113 females of pure Boran and Holstein Friesian x Boran crossbred cows and heifers synchronized with estrous synchronization hormones. Out of 52 cows and heifers in estrous after estrous synchronization 34 of them used as embryo recipient out of which 23 females received fresh embryos and 11 frozen embryos. All data were analyzed using frequency distribution and Chi-square test. Results from super ovulation response indicated that out of 19 cows super-ovulated 15 (79%) cows responded to super-ovulation treatment. A total of 31 embryos collected out of which 23 embryos (77%) were transferable and the rest were not suitable for transfer. Mean number of embryo collected per donor was 2.07. Results from recipient estrous synchronization indicated that the overall recipient ER to estrous synchronization was 46% and significantly (P < 0.05) influenced by body condition score (BCS) while the effect of synchronization protocols, parity and breed were not significant. The overall recipient PR to embryo transfer was 20% and significantly influenced by BCS (P < 0.05). It can be concluded that the number of embryo obtained per super-ovulated donor in present study is low. Moreover recipient PR to embryo transfer was also very low. The poor PR of recipient females to embryo transfer could be attributed to high early embryonic mortality. Further research is required to investigate the possible cause of low number of embryo per donor cows and the poor PR of recipient females to embryo transfer

Piloting innovations for improved data collection and management to support livestock monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas emissions in Ethiopia

To complement an ongoing CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) project ‘Enhancing capacities for MRV of sustainable livestock action in East Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia),’ which is implemented by UNIQUE forestry and land use and CCAFS, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) supported CCAFS to implement a Small Research Activity (SRA) entitled ‘Building capacities for an integrated livestock MRV system in Ethiopia’. The objective of the SRA was to support Ethiopian stakeholders to improve the methods and procedures used to produce and manage the livestock activity data required for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Ethiopia. This report summarizes the rationale for and overall design of the pilot activities, pilot results, stakeholders’ evaluations of the tools tested, and recommendations for adoption of positively evaluated tools. Section 1 explains the rationale for piloting tools to collect livestock activity data in the Ethiopian context. Ethiopia has identified livestock as a key sub-sector for GHG mitigation. An advanced livestock GHG inventory has been compiled using the Tier 2 method. However, some gaps remain in terms of data availability and data quality. The pilot activities were designed to fill those gaps, and thus enable Ethiopia to better quantify livestock GHG emissions and emission reductions in line with its national commitments on climate change. Section 2 describes the design of the pilot activities. The Tier 2 GHG inventory uses annual sample surveys from Central Statistics Agency (CSA) for data on many variables. Some tools were tested to see if they would lead to improvements in CSA data collection methods for the purpose of the GHG inventory. Some data gaps in the GHG inventory require specialist knowledge and tools and they were tested for data collection by staff of the Ministry of Agriculture or other stakeholders with technical backgrounds. In addition to data collection, data management and communication are key to ensuring that the data is available to those who can make use of it. A further pilot involved the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR) in analysis and communication of data. Section 3 summarizes the results of the pilot activities on diet composition, manure management, milk yield including stakeholders’ evaluation of different data collection tools and data management activities. In addition to the accuracy of different data collection tools, stakeholders evaluated the tools tested in relation to other criteria such as cost-effectiveness and ease of adoption within existing data management systems. Section 4 highlights key recommendations for the adoption of the tools and data management activities evaluated by stakeholders. Some tools can be readily adopted by existing actors in existing data management systems. Other tools were positively evaluated but further discussion is needed to clarify the roles and responsibilities for their use. The tools tested can also be used by other stakeholders, such as the Oromia Forested Landscape Programme. This section ends with some reflections on the piloting process from the project team, which may provide some guidance for future piloting of MRV innovations elsewhere in East Africa

Piloting innovations for improved data collection and management to support livestock monitoring, reporting, and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas emissions in Ethiopia

To complement an ongoing CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) project 'Enhancing capacities for MRV of sustainable livestock action in East Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia),' which is implemented by UNIQUE forestry and land use and CCAFS, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) supported CCAFS to implement a Small Research Activity (SRA) entitled 'Building capacities for an integrated livestock MRV system in Ethiopia'. The objective of the SRA was to support Ethiopian stakeholders to improve the methods and procedures used to produce and manage the livestock activity data required for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Ethiopia. This report summarizes the rationale for and overall design of the pilot activities, pilot results, stakeholders' evaluations of the tools tested, and recommendations for adoption of positively evaluated tools

Options for improved livestock activity data collection and management to support measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) in Ethiopia

To complement an ongoing CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) project ‘Enhancing capacities for MRV of sustainable livestock action in East Africa (Kenya and Ethiopia)’, which is implemented by UNIQUE forestry and land use, the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) supported CCAFS to implement a Small Research Activity (SRA) entitled ‘Building capacities for an integrated livestock MRV system in Ethiopia’. The objective of the SRA was to support Ethiopian stakeholders to improve the methods and procedures used to produce and manage the livestock activity data required for measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of greenhouse gases (GHG) in Ethiopia. This report summarizes the main results of the project’s activities and the activity data collection and data management methods recommended for use in Ethiopia. These findings may be relevant to livestock MRV in other countries in East Africa and elsewhere. Section 1 explains the focus of the research activities on livestock activity data in Ethiopia. Ethiopia has identified livestock as a key subsector for GHG mitigation. An advanced livestock GHG inventory has been compiled using the Tier 2 method. However, some gaps remain in terms of data availability and data quality. The pilot activities were designed to fill those gaps, and thus enable Ethiopia to better quantify livestock GHG emissions and emission reductions in line with its national commitments on climate change. Section 2 describes the data collection tools and data management methods tested and the results. The data collection tools focused on collecting improved data on diet composition, milk yield and manure management activity data. A further pilot involved the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR) in analyses and communication of data. Section 3 highlights key recommendations for the adoption of the tools and data management activities evaluated by stakeholders. It also provides some reflections on the piloting process from the project team, which may provide some guidance for future piloting of MRV innovations elsewhere in East Africa. Section 4 presents the manual’s purpose for each production system to guide data collection procedures. It extends to guidance and pilots’ lessons learned on sampling, selection of participants, preliminary analysis, and other practical implementation issues. These enable scaling up of the use of the piloted tools to regional and national levels

Inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from cattle, sheep and goats in Ethiopia (1994-2018) calculated using the IPCC Tier 2 approach

Livestock production is an important source of incomes and livelihoods for the rural population in Ethiopia, and is also an important contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Ethiopia’s GHG profile is dominated by emissions from the agriculture sector, representing 79% of total national emissions. Of these emissions, livestock accounts for the largest share (60%) due to enteric fermentation, manure management and emissions from managed soils due to livestock deposit of dung and urine