Crop residues and agro-industrial by-products used in traditional sheep and goat production in rural communities of Markudi LGA

C C Onyeonagu ,Ol Njoku

doi:10.4314/as.v9i3.65750

Abstract

A study of crop residues and agro-industrial by-products in Makurdi was conducted in June, 2008. Interview schedule was administered to farmers in five communities in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria. Fourteen (14) crop residues and eleven (11) agro-industrial byproducts were identified. The crop residues were grouped under cereal crop residues (3), root crop residues (5), legume crop residues (3), and fruit crop residues (3). All the sampled respondents kept livestock and depend on the natural pasture as the main source of feed for their animals. The mean stock number per farmer in this study was 14.0 for goats and 10.2 for sheep with the highest numbers being in the Agan community. Crop residues collection in this area is done twice daily. Thesource of crop residues in the area is generally close to the farmers’ residence being 400 metres away. Most of these crop residues are available and utilized all the year round and are fairly palatable to ruminant animal with a mean score of 2.0. Palatable and very palatable crop residues (with mean scores of 3.0 and 4.0, respectively), constitute 56.0%, while unpalatable materials constitute only 8.0% of all the residues. Most of the crop residues have low levels of anti nutrients and are therefore suitable for livestock feeding.

Highlights

With the take off of the agro-industrial revolution in Nigeria, many agricultural and industrial by-products were produced in such quantities that they constituted a problem of waste disposal (Tegbe, 1981)
The types of crop residues (ii) Perceived animal acceptability and palatability of crop residue (iii) Distribution of crop residues (iv) Availability and frequency of collection of crop residues (v) Seasonality of crop residues (vi) Availability rating of crop residues was based on mean scores to the nearest whole number
The 14 crop residues identified in Makurdi in this study compared favourably to the value by Ayoola and Ayoade (1991) who reported fifteen crop residues in the northern part of Nigeria

Summary

Introduction

With the take off of the agro-industrial revolution in Nigeria, many agricultural and industrial by-products were produced in such quantities that they constituted a problem of waste disposal (Tegbe, 1981). In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, local demand for agroindustrial by-products like groundnut cake, cotton seed cake and palm kernel cakes could not absorb the available quantities. This prompted Fetuga and Ogunfowora (1976) to advocate the exportation of these commodities. These by-products have over the years, gained a lot of recognition in livestock feeding. There is evidence that livestock fed with crop residues and agro-industrial by-products could achieve substantial weight gains (O’Donovah, 1979)

Methods

Results

Conclusion