Abstract
We undertook a comparative analysis of (peri-)urban livestock production strategies across three West African cities. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, livestock-keeping households (HH) were interviewed in Kano/Nigeria (84 HH), Bobo Dioulasso/Burkina Faso (63 HH) and Sikasso/Mali (63 HH). Questions covered livestock species kept, herd sizes and structure, feeds used, manure management, livestock marketing and production constraints. Sheep and goats dominated (p < 0.001) in Kano (76 and 75 % of HH) compared to Bobo Dioulasso (48 and 40 %) and Sikasso (28 and 40 %), while cattle and poultry were more frequent (p < 0.001) in Bobo Dioulasso (82 and 69 % of HH) and Sikasso (65 and 79 %) than in Kano (29 and 20 %). Across cities, ruminant feeding relied on grazing and homestead supplementation with fresh grasses, crop residues, cereal brans and cottonseed cake; cereal grains and brans were major ingredients of poultry feeds. Cattle and sheep fetched highest prices in Kano, unit prices for goats and chicken were highest in Sikasso. Across cities there was little association of gardens and livestock, whereas field cropping and livestock were integrated. There was no relation between the education of the HH head and the adoption of improved management practices (p > 0.05), but the proportion of HH heads with a long-term experience in UPA activities was higher in Kano and in Bobo Dioulasso than in Sikasso (p < 0.001). We therefore postulate that the high illiteracy rate among (peri-)urban livestock keepers in West Africa does not threaten the acceptance of improved technologies and innovations supporting the sustainability of their livestock production.
Highlights
The mainstay of the economy of most West African countries is agriculture
In Kano and Sikasso, a higher proportion of livestock keeping HH was involved in gardening activities (Table 2) compared to Bobo Dioulasso (χ2042.7, p
Livestock-keeping families mainly belonged to the Hausa, Bobo-Dioula and Sénoufo ethnic groups, which are the dominant groups in Kano, Bobo Dioulasso and Sikasso, respectively
Summary
The contribution of the livestock sector to the agricultural gross domestic product is 49, 15 and 44 % for Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Mali, respectively. While the growth rate of the regional animal production is estimated at 4 % per year, the regional demand for livestock products is expected to increase by >250 % until 2025 as compared to 2005 (SWAC-OECD/ECOWAS 2008). Given the current degree of urbanization of about 20 % and an annual growth rate of the urban population of 5–7 %, an important proportion of the total population of sub-Saharan West Africa will live in cities by the year 2050 (FAO 2011). Urban agriculture is a widespread practice in West Africa (Kutiwa et al 2010) but has been neglected for a long time by policy makers.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
