Kirui, Josephine

Kugonza, J.

Lukuyu, Ben A.

Lutakome, P.

Wabwire, R.

Lutakome, Pius

CGSpace

Characterisation of the livestock production system and potential for enhancing productivity through improved feeding in Mityana district of Uganda.  By: Jane Kugonza, Ronald Wabwire, Pius Lutakome, Ben Lukuyu and Josephine Kirui  East African Dairy Development Project (EADD)     The Feed Assessment Tool (FEAST) is a systematic method to assess local feed resource availability and use. It helps in the design of intervention strategies aiming to optimize feed utilization and animal production. More information and the manual can be obtained at www.ilri.org/feast  FEAST is a tool in constant development and improvement. Feedback is welcome and should be directed feast@cgiar.org. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is not responsible for the quality and validity of results obtained using the FEAST methodology.   The Feed Assessment Tool (FEAST) was used to characterize the feed‐related aspects of the livestock production system in Mityana district of Uganda. The assessment was carried out through focused group discussions and completion of short questionnaires by three key farmer representatives owning small, medium and large scale farms1. The following are the findings of the assessment and conclusions for further action. Farming system The farming system is primarily a subsistence based, mixed crop/livestock system. Farm sizes in the area are around 5 acres (2 ha) on average with most of the land being used for cropping. A typical household size is 8 people who live permanently on farm on average per year. Households in the area commonly grow a variety of food crops including; coffee (Coffea Arabica), maize (Zea mays), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), bananas (Musa acuminate), cassava (Manihot esculenta), and vegetables. Napier grass is the main basal forage but a number of farmers also grow fodder legumes especially Lablab purpureus and Mucuna pruriens as well as fodder trees and shrubs such as Calliandra calothyrsus.  Each household also raises a variety of livestock species including cattle, goats and pigs for various purposes. Cattle are kept mainly for milk, cash income from animal sales and manure.  On average most households have two or three milking cows. Indigenous chickens are kept by households to meet household meat, egg and cash needs. Improved cross breeds as pass-on gifts from Heifer are kept by more than 80% of households and are popular with farmers due to their high milk production                                                           1 The very small number of respondents for questionnaires means that the figures in this report are only indicative and should not be considered an accurate reflection of quantitative aspects of the farming system. However, they are adequate to give a crude overall impression for the purposes of guiding thinking about constraints and interventions. capabilities. Cross breeds comprise mainly of Friesian, Jersey breeds and the local Nganda cattle.  Nganda cattle are kept by about 20% of the households. Goats are also raised by 10-20% of the households for quick sale when funds are required. Labour is generally available all the time at approximately 70,000 Uganda shillings per month. This labour price package is considered very expensive. The high cost of labour is considered to be due to many rural people migrating to town to look for better paying jobs. Rainfall levels are generally adequate to support cropping activities; however, rainfall unreliability is increasingly becoming common (Table 1). Water is such a major constraint in the area especially during the dry season.     Table 1: Cropping seasons that occur in the area Name of season Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Long wet season              Short wet season             Dry season months                Major income sources Milk sales are the primary contributor to household income. An average of 52% of all household income comes from the sale of milk. Crops, mainly maize, beans, bananas, groundnuts and cassava make an important contribution of approximately 38% to household income.  The contribution from sales of indigenous birds and eggs is considered relatively minor at 10% collectively for some households (Figure 3). The contribution of these sales varies substantially throughout the year based on climatic conditions. Sale of animals generally occurs in an ad-hoc manner when funds are required quickly or undesirable animals such as bull calves and unproductive old cows need to be culled.   Figure 3: The primary contributors to household income in the area Crops 38% Milk sales 52% Eggs 10% Contribution (%) of livelihood activities to household income Livestock production system The livestock production system is focused on milk production. Improved dairy breeds, namely Friesians and a few Jerseys dominate livestock holdings as shown in Figure 4. Milk produced on the farm is sold to Mulika and Jessa traders at an average price of 600 Ugandan shilling (UGS), (0.2 USD; ranging from 500-800; 0.21-0.33 USD) per litre. The average milk production per cow per day in the area is 12 litres. The common feeding strategies in the area mainly include feeding chopped green fodder and /or crop residues especially maize stover, banana pseudostems and potato vines. Hay and silage is fed by 40% of farmers.  Veterinary services are easily accessed from the CAHPs employed on behalf of the DFBA. The price of veterinary treatments depends largely on the nature of the problem. For example east coast fever (ECF) vaccination costs UGS 60,000 (26 USD) which is considered expensive to most farmers. Farmers vaccinate animals against common diseases and this is supported by private health technicians and government animal health workers. Farmers individually buy acaricide and spray animals themselves to control ticks.   Figure 4: Average livestock holdings per household in Mityana in Tropical Livestock Units (TLUs)  Major feed sources through the year The diet is primarily composed of green forages, crop residues, legumes, silage and hay  and concentrates as shown in Figure 5. Cultivated fodder, crop residues, purchased feeds, naturally occurring and collected feeds, contribute the greatest proportion of the total ME (MJ/kg) and crude protein (CP; %) in the diet on farms (Figure 6). Concentrates and maize bran contribute 89% of the total purchased feed. Supplements such as maize bran and dairy meal can be purchased for 500 UGX (0.21 USD) per kg and 40,000 UGS shillings (17 USD) per 25 kg bag respectively. 00.511.522.5ImprovedDairy cattleGoats Local DairyCattleSheep Poultry -villageconditionsFatteninganddraughtcattleAverage livestock holding (TLU) Average livestock holdings per household  - dominant species (TLU)  Figure 5: The dietary composition of cattle in Mityana, Uganda throughout the year in relation to rainfall pattern.  Problems, issues and opportunities According to farmers, the main constraint to production in this area is animal diseases especially tickborn diseases escalated by the limited number of animal husbandry officers at sub county level. In addition, there is need for farmers to access seeds for establishing high yielding forages. Animal diseases especially tick borne diseases and lumpy skin disease, is the second most important problem in the area. Water scarcity is the third most important problem especially in the dry season. Farmers also consider fluctuation of milk prices in the dry and wet season as a major problem to sustainable incomes. Also listed as a major problem is the cost of concentrate feeds which is considered to be very high and significantly increase the cost of milk production. A summary of problems and farmer proposed solutions are shown the (Table 2). Although not mentioned as a key problem, some farmers engaged in pasture production find it hard to access market for the pasture.          0123456020406080100Jan Feb March April May June Jul August Sep Oct Nov DecAvailability in diet (%)  Available feed resources Crop residues Legume residuesGreen forage GrazingConcentrates Rainfall pattern (score 0-10)  Table 2: Problems, issues and proposed farmer solutions within the production systems Problem (in order of importance) Main problem Proposed farmer solutions 1 Animal diseases - Increase number of local drug shops - Increase number of service providers - Education on control of diseases and vaccinations 2 Unavailability of feeds especially during the dry season. Lack of market for produced forage seeds. - Pasture conservation practices such as silage making and hay making. - Link seed companies to farmers through DFBA - Enhance network between farmers so that those who have e.g. demo farmers share with others - Help farmers to start community seed production 4 Unavailability of water – especially in the dry season - Education on water harvesting technologies such as valley dams, underground water tanks etc. 5 Limited animal health services. Farmer consider the causes as: - Farmers reluctance to pay for services - Service providers are overloaded with many cases hence slow in responding to cases - They are occupied with other personal tasks such as business. - Service provider should separate personal and animal health roles - Service provider should specialise in technical roles such as A.I., clinical and animal husbandry services rather than mixing them.  Potential interventions  Farmers  consider that one of the options of countering insufficient forage onfarm is through increasing acreage and composition of cultivated fodder. Since most farmers have not committed large proportions of their holdings to fodder, there is still room for producing more fodder from available land. To mitigate the effects of lack of market for forage seeds, efforts will have to be made to link the groups producing pasture seed to seed companies through the DFBA to enhance/catalyse community forage ssed production.  Simple on-farm methods of silage production should be considered to mitigate the constraint of feed scarcity during the dry season. The use of polythene bags or small scale silage pits may be viable options.  Currently most of the purchased feeds are concentrates and feed ingredients. As a result attempts to make delivery chains effective and improve access of concentrates will enhance usage amongst farmers.   Key issues - Lack of market for the forage produced by some groups. - Water scarcity especially during the period of prolonged drought. - Limited animal health services providers.   - High incidences of animal diseases caused by unavailability and high cost of drugs and vaccines.  Ways forward 1. Conduct feedback workshop with DFBAs and relevant stakeholders 2. Support DFBAs to develop implementation strategies based on recommended interventions such as: - Initiate community forage production either through groups or interested people as a business it has not started. - Improve animal health service delivery amongst farmers. - Improve farmer training in disease control measures. - Enhance training on simple silage making techniques on farms. - Enhance efficient concentrate feed delivery chains to farmers and train them on optimum concentrate usage. 2. Review implementation progress and document lessons learned.  Conclusion Milk is makes the most important contribution to household income in this subsistence based mixed/crop livestock system. Farm sizes in the area are an average size of 5 acres (2 ha) most of which is used for cropping. Every household has at least 1-2 milking cows and 2-3 goats. The primary crops of importance are cassava, coffee, bananas, maize and beans. The main constraints to the further intensification and development of dairying in the area are a lack of feed especially in the dry season and high incidence of diseases. Napier grass is the main type of fodder. Most farmers keep improved cattle. Milk prices are generally unstable and vary throughout the year due to an oversupply in the wet season.     

Characterization of the livestock production system and potential for enhancing productivity through improved feeding in Mityana district of Uganda

Characterisation of the livestock production system and potential for enhancing productivity through improved feeding in Maddu, Mpigi district, Uganda  By: Jane Kugonza, Ronald Wabwire, Pius Lutakome, Ben Lukuyu and Josephine Kirui  East African Dairy Development Project (EADD)   The Feed Assessment Tool (FEAST) is a systematic method to assess local feed resource availability and use. It helps in the design of intervention strategies aiming to optimize feed utilization and animal production. More information and the manual can be obtained at www.ilri.org/feast  FEAST is a tool in constant development and improvement. Feedback is welcome and should be directed feast@cgiar.org. The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is not responsible for the quality and validity of results obtained using the FEAST methodology.  The Feed Assessment Tool (FEAST) was used to characterize the livestock production system and in particular feed‐related aspects in Maddu dairy farmers association (DFBA), in Mpigi district, Uganda.  The assessment was carried out through structured group discussions and completion of short questionnaires by key farmers’ representatives. The following are the findings of the assessment and conclusions for further action. Farming system Maddu is located in Mpigi district in the western part of Uganda. Households in this area are composed of approximately 8 (range 6-11) members and utilise on average 40 acres of pastoral land.  Table 1 shows farmers perceptions about average land sizes for different categories of farmers. Category of farmer Range of land size % of households that fall into the category landless 0 0 Small farmer 1 to 20 12 Medium farmer 21 to 50 48 Large farmer 51 to 200 40   Figure 1: Average land sizes owned by different categories of farmers in Maddu, Mpigi, Uganda. The production system is primarily pastoralist focused on livestock keeping with very few farmers growing food, mainly common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris),  bananas, maize (Zea mays), and cassava (Manihot esculenta) as seen in Figure 2. All crops are grown during the wet season; however, rainfall patterns are becoming unpredictable and unreliable (Table 2). Crops are grown mainly for household food production and few are sold.  Table 2: Cropping season that occur in the area Name of season Jan Feb Mar April May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Long wet (Efumbi)             Short wet  (Ekyanda)             Dry (Akanda)               Milk production is an important means of regular income generation with most farmers possessing the Ankole type of indigenous cattle. These are also sold for meat to provide substantial income when the need arises and to pay dowries.  A few farmers keep improved cross bred animals for increased milk production. Goats are also kept by some farmers for sale when funds are needed quickly.  Due to the large size of land holdings and herds, labour is generally required to herd cattle especially in the dry season when herds migrate to look for pasture. However management during migration has become easier since most herdsmen have mobile phones. Herding labour costs between 150,000 – 200,000 UGS (64-85 US$) per month in addition to provision of food and 4-6 litres of milk daily. Manual labour to open an acre of land is at 70,000-90,000 UGS (29-38 US$). Factoring in daily provisions overall labour costs become very costly.  Figure 2: Crop varieties grown in Maddu, Mpigi, Uganda. Major income sources The main contributor to income is milk sales (62%) (Figure 3). Milk is important because most households in this area own cattle.   Livestock sales  contribute approximately 20% to household income.   00.020.040.060.080.10.12Average area of crop grown per household  (hectares) Crops grown in the area  MILK VENDING/SALES 60% CROP SALES 14% LIVESTOCK SALES 11% OFF FARM 15% Figure 3: Contribution (%) of livelihood activities to household income  Livestock production system Cattle are the most important livestock species in this system as they provide milk, meat and cash income to the households (Figure 4).  At present, approximately 35% of the farmers keep improved cattle. The average milk production per cow per day is 2.5 litres. The resultant milk is then sold to a number of traders and processors including Sameer Agriculture Limited and sometimes sold in the local market for an average of 400 UGS (0.17 US$) per litre throughout the year (range 300-500 UGS/litre (0.13-0.21 US$)).     Figure 4: Average livestock holdings per household in Tropical Livestock Units (TLU) Management of livestock species  Cattle are mainly managed under open grazing systems demarcated by perimeter fences of live plants or three strands barbed wire paddocks.  Artificial Insemination (A.I.) is scanty in Maddu just like other pastoral areas. A.I. charges are variable depending on distance and type of practitioner.  AI charges UGS 40,000 (17 US$) per service per cow and the same again for repeat services. This includes UGX 10,000, 5,000, and 5,000 for straw, liquid nitrogen and disposable items cost respectively plus UGS 10,000 and 10,000 for labour and transport charges respectively. Most farmers use their own local bull service. However, those who do not have bulls pay USH15, 000 (6 US$) per service. AI adoption is still a challenge in this area. 0123456789ImprovedDairy cattleLocal DairyCattleGoats Fattening anddraught cattleSheep Poultry -villageconditionsAverage livestock holding (TLU) Average livestock holdings per household  - dominant species (TLU) At present cattle prices vary with season increasing during the wet season (700,000 – 800,000 UGS (292-333 US$) per head) and dropping drastically in the dry season (250,000 – 300,000 UGS (104-125 US$) per head) during the dry season.  Sheep and goat prices tend to remain the same throughout the year ranging 50,000 – 60,000 UGS (21-25 US$) per head. Major feed sources through the year Grazing contributes the largest proportion of the feed base on a dry matter (DM) basis in the area and consequently metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP). Naturally occurring feeds are also important.  Grazing is the primary component of the feed base within this area throughout most of the year. However, grazing drastically reduces during the dry season in January – February.    Concentrate feeding tends to be targeted toward improved breeds with higher amounts available during the wet than dry season.    Figure 1: Available feed sources utilised by farmers throughout the year. Problems, issues and opportunities The main issues faced by farmers are lack of water especially during the dry season and the bush encroachment problem on grazing pastures. The expansive pastoral system does not have adequate water dams and these are located long distances from most households. Poor use and drainage has compromised water quality (Photo 1). Migration has decreased due to changing tenure system and population pressure and farmers are remaining an option of settling in the available land leading to overgrazing. Termites and invasive weeds have drastically reduced the grazable area.    0123456020406080100Jan FebMarch April May June Jul August Sep Oct Nov DecAvailability in diet (%)  Available feed resources Crop residues Legume residuesGreen forage GrazingConcentrates Rainfall pattern (score 0-10)  A lack of improved dairy breeds is also a clear constraint to the further development of milk production within the area. Artificial Insemination (AI) services will help disseminate improved genetics; however, the service is not reliable within the area and is costly to farmers.  Tick born diseases are also another serious problem. Potential interventions It is highly recommended that technologies geared towards improving natural pastures be scaled up to increase biomass quality and quantity. This can be supported by initiating communal interventions of forage seed multiplication.  In addition to this, an Integrated Termite control should be introduced. Challenges of water can be addressed through simple water harvesting technologies and where affordable, excavation of community valley dams may be a workable solution.    Farmers also have the option to purchase larger quantities of concentrate but this will significantly increase the cost of production. However, increased milk production will also be required to offset the increased cost of production.   Key issues - Lack of water especially during the dry season - Termite infestation - Bush problem leading to decreased grazing pastures - Lack of feed sources, both in terms of quantity and quality - Limited use of non convention feed resources - Poor milk yields  - Lack of access to AI services and improved dairy cattle breeds Ways forward 1.Conduct a feedback workshop with DFBAs 2. Support DFBAs to develop implementation strategies for the recommended interventions such as: - Introduce strategies to improve pasture through collective action - Enhance arrangements for purchase of fodder from urban fodder producers - Commercial hay production - Improve AI services 3. Build the DFBA’ s capacity to conduct feed assessments. 4. Monitor and document best practices Conclusion This area is predominately extensive characterised by pastoralism with mainly the indigenous type of livestock. The area is currently experiencing feed shortages and farmers are looking into other options such as using crop residues and agro-industrial bi-products. To mitigate these constraints farmers (and other stakeholders) will be required to take an integrated approach to improve feed production through pasture improvement strategies, importing feed and improving access to AI facilities to ensure farmers can rapidly upgrade the genetic merit of their cattle holdings.   

Characterization of the livestock production system and potential for enhancing productivity through improved feeding in Maddu, Mpigi district, Uganda

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Characterization of the livestock production system and potential for enhancing productivity through improved feeding in Maddu, Mpigi district, Uganda

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