The production objectives and feeding strategies of ruminant livestock owners in The Gambia: implications for policy makers
1997
Bennison, J.J. | Barton, D. | Jaitner, J.
A Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), using preference scoring matrices, was used to assess the production objectives of livestock owners in The Gambia. The PRA was then used in conjunction with gross margin analyses and discounted cash flows to assess the social, economic and technical constraints to the supplementation of cattle in The Gambia. The PRA survey indicated that cattle are primarily kept as a means of savings. Farmers placed a value on manure that equalled domestic milk consumption and exceeded that of milk sales. Equines, bulls, and cows in one district, were important for draught and transport; small ruminants were kept primarily as an investment and for ceremonial purposes. The gross margin analyses of productivity responses indicated that supplementation is not financially attractive in the short-term, i.e. for a single lactation or fattening period. However, discounted cash flows demonstrated that supplementation is worthwhile in the long-term particularly for draught cattle where multiple benefits accrue. Adoption of long-term supplementation strategies in cows is further constrained by transport, feed availability and the distribution of costs and benefits between cattle owners and hired herdsman.
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