Project Funded by African Development Bank (Community Based Agric & Rural Development Projects)

JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROJECT

The followings were identified as constraints during interaction with livestock farmers/pastoralists groups as well as review of project progress report on livestock production:

1. Low genetic quality of their indigenous breeds of cattle leading to;
2. Low milk yield (0.5 – 1 lit) per cow per day.
3. Low biomass yield resulting in feeds scarcity during the dry season (5 – 6 months)
4. Long calving interval ( 2-3 years)
5. Prolong age before maturity (3 – 4 years)
6. Poor feed conversion efficiency
7. Absence of indigenous knowledge system for improving genetic quality and feed quality
8. Lack of high quality drugs and vaccines and poor disease control methods resulting in high loses from preventable treatable diseases.

Opportunities provided by this training include:

1. Potential for improving genetic quality of indigenous breeds of cattle through dissemination of knowledge and practical demonstration of artificial insemination technology
2. Improving the knowledge and skills of participants for improving the nutritive value of crop residues through grinding, ammonification and use of molasses on crop residues
3. Visit to selected commercial dairy farms to share knowledge and experience on establishment and management of community based dairy enterprise
4. Modeling and Mainstreaming small scale dairy enterprise as a tool for improving family health incomes and job creation
5. Initiating and Integrating community herd health management as an important tool to prevent livestock diseases
6. Encouraging livestock producers to mainstream pasture, silage and haylage production to meet the challenges of providing quality feeds to cattle during period of scarcity.

Expected outcome

At the end of this training / demonstration, knowledge and experience sharing exercise, participants will be able to;

.

1. Acquire knowledge, skills artificial insemination kit and other AI input for the upgrading of at least 40 cows  through artificial insemination.
2. Know the advantage of improving the genetic quality of their indigenous cows, (good weight gain, early maturity, higher milk yield, better market price etc).
3. Know the advantages of reduction of pressure on land through the reduction in herd size.
4. Laying foundation for sustainable small scale dairy production program.
5. Availability and harnessing of farm yard manure for improving soil facility and crop productivity
6. Participants will have basic knowledge and skills on improving nutritive value of crop residue through ammonification and use  of molasses
7. Identification and control of major endemic disease of cattle eg foot and mouth disease, Contagious Bovine pleuro Pneumonia (CBPP),  Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Streptotrichosis (Kirci), lumpy skin disease

(LSD) etc.