The study was undertaken in the Ejura-Sekyedumasi District of Ghana to investigate how household headship characteristics and labour availability relate with the household’s decision to keep and spend time on small ruminants. Key informants were interviewed prior to a census of all the 407 households in two villages, to collect demographic, crop, and livestock data, which was used in bivariate and logistic regression analyses. A subsequent time use study involved a stratified sample of 24 households, and the t- test was used to compare households. In general, female-headed households (FHH) were of lower socio-economic status, and had fewer adult household members and less livestock, compared to male-headed households (MHH). The final logistic regression model had a 77.1% success rate in predicting households keeping small ruminants, with socio-economic status and sex of the household head, presence of poultry and the number of active adults as significant predictors. Characteristics of FHH that kept small ruminants were not significantly different from their male counterparts, but the former spent less time feeding their animals. The odds of keeping small ruminants were ultimately 2.1 times higher for male-headed households. The low socio-economic status of most FHH with less labour availability is a disincentive for small ruminant rearing

The growth response of Tilapia fish (Oreochromis niloticus) to supplementation with fresh or dried leaves of a sweet variety of cassava was studied in 1 m deep ponds (each 4 m * 2.5 m * 1 m). Rice bran or rice bran mixed with cassava root meal was provided as the energy source (20-24% of feed DM), the mixed feed being given at the rate of 5% of fish LW. There were 30 fish per pond with average initial weight of 6 g per head. The treatments were arranged as a 2*2 factorial in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 4 replicates. The first factor was cassava leaf processing (sun-dried or fresh); the second factor was energy source (rice bran or rice bran mixed with cassava root meal). The cassava leaves and roots were from a local “sweet” variety traditionally planted by farmers for human consumption. The experiment was conducted for 100 days. Daily gain in weight and length, and the ratio weight: length after 100 days of growth, did not differ among treatments. All the fish survived and there was no evidence of HCN toxicity. Water quality parameters were not affected by the treatments. There were no interactions between sources of protein and of energy. It is concluded that the feeding of cassava leaves with rice bran can be readily adopted by small scale farmers as both these feed resources are readily available in rural areas.

A survey was conducted in Hamer and Benna-Tsemay districts of the South Omo zone of Ethiopia, with the objectives of assessing the range-livestock management practices and perceptions of the different pastoral groups (Hamer, Benna, and Tsemay) towards rangeland degradation. This information is considered to be vital to future pastoral development planning and interventions. The information was gathered through group discussions, personal observations, and using a structured questionnaire where each household was taken as a unit of analysis. The average family size per household was for Hamer = 7.05 for Benna = 7.93 and for Tsemay = 7 with nearly 98.1% of the respondents without any kind of education. All pastoral groups derived their main income from the sale of animals, which was followed by the sale of honey as in the case of Hamer and Tsemay pastoralists. The average livestock per household was 25.7, 10 and 2.8 tropical livestock unit (TLU) cattle, goat and sheep, respectively. The major livestock production constraints were drought, feed and water shortage and animal health problems. The different pastoral groups have the opinion that the condition of their rangeland is poor, mainly due to overgrazing, drought and increase in human population. Furthermore, there was also a problem of bush encroachment which is an indicator of rangeland degradation. There are no range improvement practices undertaken to improve the condition of the rangelands. Mobility is the first measure taken to solve shortage of livestock feed and water but many of the pastoralists replied that they face many problems during migrations. Because of the unfavorable climatic condition for cultivation, most of the respondents of Hamer and Tsemay pastoralists and about 35% from Benna still prefer communal land tenure, where resources are shared. In conclusion, the indigenous knowledge of the pastoralists about range-livestock management and their environment should be incorporated while planning range-livestock development projects for the study districts.

Data from the nucleus herd at the International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC) in The Gambia were used to evaluate the current N'Dama cattle breeding scheme implemented in a low input production system. Opportunities were investigated to further improve the breeding scheme through a comparison of alternatives to the current selection strategy. A deterministic simulation model was used to demonstrate the genetic and economic benefits of the different schemes. The breeding goal consisted of daily weight gain (from 15 to 36 months of age under high tsetse challenge conditions, DWG, g/day) and milk yield (milk off-take in the first 100 days of lactation, MY, kg). Substantial genetic response per year of 3.40 kg in MY and 0.25 g/day in DWG could be achieved. Simulation results showed that early selection of nucleus sires resulted in relatively higher genetic and economic responses compared to all other schemes investigated. For a practical breeding scheme (low input system), the scheme based on early selection of nucleus sires should be recommended since this leads to the best improvements in the overall breeding goal

Data from the nucleus herd at the International Trypanotolerance Centre (ITC) in The Gambia were used to evaluate the current N'Dama cattle breeding scheme implemented in a low input production system. Opportunities were investigated to further improve the breeding scheme through a comparison of alternatives to the current selection strategy. A deterministic simulation model was used to demonstrate the genetic and economic benefits of the different schemes. The breeding goal consisted of daily weight gain (from 15 to 36 months of age under high tsetse challenge conditions, DWG, g/day) and milk yield (milk off-take in the first 100 days of lactation, MY, kg). Substantial genetic response per year of 3.40 kg in MY and 0.25 g/day in DWG could be achieved. Simulation results showed that early selection of nucleus sires resulted in relatively higher genetic and economic responses compared to all other schemes investigated. For a practical breeding scheme (low input system), the scheme based on early selection of nucleus sires should be recommended since this leads to the best improvements in the overall breeding goal

Introduction of cassava leaf silage making to smallholder farmers and its feeding to ruminants in cassava crop growing areas were investigated through laboratory and on-farm feeding trials, extension services and training. This with the aim to evaluate the response of the ruminants on cassava leaf silage feeding and the adoption of the technology by farmers. Fifteen male sheep aged 6-8 months with an initial body weight of 15.8 + 2.6 kg were used in a laboratory feeding trial and allotted to 3 treatments with 5 replications in a randomized block experiment design. The sheep were fed on chopped elephant grass and three different levels of cassava leaf silage as treatment. The three levels of supplementation of casava leaf silage (DM in % of body weight) were: 0, 0.75, and 1.5, which represented treatments A, B, and C, respectively, and the rest of the feed was elephant grass to reach a total DM intake in % of body weight of 5. The individual sheep was weighed every second week to measure their body weight changes. An on-farm feeding trial was conducted in collaboration with the farmers as target persons. The results showed that feeding increasing amounts of cassava leaf silage as a feed supplement for sheep significantly increased digestible crude protein (CP) intake and nitrogen retention, and this was also associated with an increase in average daily weight gain from 41.4 to 45.0 and 50.0 g/head/day, respectively, on treatments A, B and C. Cassava leaf has been commonly used as a feed for ruminant animals by smallholder farmers, but only during the cassava crop harvesting season, where the leaf was abundantly available. It was fed in fresh form, either as single or combined feed. Preservation of forages including cassava leaf in the form of hay or silage was not well known by the farmers in this study. The farmers showed good response on the introduced technology of cassava leaf silage making and feeding to their ruminant livestock. They noticed that cassava leaf silage showed higher palatability over the forages they have normally used to feed their livestock. The farmers have practiced the technology, but they lack equipments, especially chopping machine for a larger scale application of the technology.

The mainstay of economic activity in Cat Que Commune, Hoai Duc District of Ha Tay Province in Vietnam is got raising, which is the production of piglets between 8 to 30 kg, filling a gap between the sow/piglet and meat pig productions. A cluster of associated enterprises have developed around this got-based enterprise which include the got raisers, piglet suppliers, feed and medicine suppliers, veterinarian services, got collectors, and manure collectors. The relationships with these associated enterprises form the basis of the complex enterprise strategies of the got raisers, which strive to balance a complex set of issues of feed, growth, season, disease control, labour, credit, and marketing in order to ensure the profitability and sustainability of the enterprise. The got are fed a rice-based diet, with occasional protein concentrate to speed up growth for seasons when got prices are high; while inferior feed is given when there is a glut in the market. Disease control is as much related to management as it is to marketing strategy and labour requirements. To sell the whole lot of got yields lower profit and leads to uneven labour requirements, but it provides the opportunity for thorough cleaning of the pig pens and a break in disease; both contribute to better health condition. Selling got on credit fosters relationships with the collectors, but also creates a cash flow problem which in turn is passed on to the feed suppliers who then must sell feed to got raisers on credit. The in-depth analysis of this complex set of interrelated issues provides the basis for elaborating an enterprise plan to improve the system. One research activity that has been completed is a trial on maize substitution for rice and the results showed significant improvement in growth rate (372 vs. 332 g/day of daily weight gain), reduced feed cost (6,013 vs. 7,654 vnd/kg weight gain - USD 1 = 15,400 vnd -), and higher profit (78,611 vs. 51,032 vnd per got). The disease survey also identified the management areas that affect the frequencies of illnesses, including pig pen design and flooring, living space, cleanliness (e.g., bathing frequency and thorough disinfection of pig pens), and drinking water source.

Surveys were made of rural artisan cheese factories located in the region of Olancho, Catacamas, and Juticalpa in Honduras (n=10) and in Esquipulas and Muy-Muy in Nicaragua (n=13). The objective was to analyze the milk market of small rural artisan cheese factories in livestock watersheds of Honduras and Nicaragua to determine if: there is a market for higher milk production how much additional milk can the market absorb in each season of the year there is a market for milk of higher hygienic quality. The main buyer of the milk from small and medium scale farmers in Honduras and Nicaragua is the rural artisan cheese industry, which absorbs almost 80% of the milk produced in both countries. Total milk production during the rainy season is about twice that during the dry season, causing an over-supply and scarcity of milk, respectively. The shortage of fluid milk during the dry season leads to an unsatisfied market. The artisan cheese factories in Honduras and Nicaragua would be willing to buy 76% and 55% more milk during the dry season, but this supply is not available due low milk productivity. This fact suggests that an aggressive program for the promotion of shrub legumes with sugarcane to supplement the herd during the dry season would have more impact that the promotion of grasses or legumes for the rainy season when there is little market for additional milk produced. In addition, rural artisan cheese factories in Honduras and Nicaragua, that consider the milk they collect is of bad quality, would be willing to pay a higher price if the option to collect milk of better hygienic quality exists. In Honduras this price would be about 9% higher during the dry season and 11% higher during the rainy season. In Nicaragua the cheese factories would be willing to pay a milk price which is 17% higher, but only during the rainy season. As a result, large incentives exist in both countries to increase milk production during the dry season and to improve the hygienic quality of milk in the studied areas.

The early adoption of the legume Arachis pintoi was studied in the State of Caquetá, located in Colombia’s Amazon region. Data came from 174 farmers randomly surveyed within the area of influence of Nestlé, a multinational milk-processing company. In addition, 52 farmers who had already adopted Arachis were surveyed separately to study their experiences, difficulties, and prospects with the legume. Results indicated that livestock activity is undergoing dynamic intensification. Since 1986, milk production per lactation has increased by 31%, cow fertility by 5%, herd size by 18%, and the area sown to improved pastures by 165%. Current adoption rate of Arachis is about 9.2%, with an estimated 3000 ha already planted. Two-thirds of farmers who had adopted Arachis said they would double, in the next year, the average area sown (9.6 ha/farm). Adopters tended to have larger farms and to have invested twice the capital than did non-adopters. The cost of seed for both grass and legume accounted for 40-52% of total establishment costs, making seed quality decisive in guaranteeing success. To promote Arachis, more information on the plant and its management in association with grasses must be disseminated. Mechanisms should also be sought to reduce establishment costs.