Abstract
There are several factors that hinder the productivity of livestock in Ethiopia of which nutrition contributes the largest share. The quality and quantity of feed are poor challenging livestock production. Nowadays, due to the rapid increase of human population and increasing demand for food, grazing lands are steadily declining by being shifted to arable lands for crop production. As a result, food crop residues are providing a considerable quantity of dry season feed in most farming areas of the country. However, the feeding value of crop residues is very poor. One way to alleviate this problem is supplementation of crop residue through the use of improved forage and fodder trees. Research and development agents have been testing and identifying promising forages that are suitable for pasture rehabilitation in a wide range of agro-ecological zones besides animal feeding. The use of forage legumes have a paramount role resulted in increasing soil nitrogen available for food crops because of their ability to fix nitrogen. Moreover, multipurpose browse trees and shrubs serve as fuel wood resource. Improved forage legumes and browse species provides protein which enhances the feed resources available for livestock. The major impediments of improved forages production in different parts of the country are ecological deterioration, overgrazing, land tenure, border conflict, drought, weed and bush encroachment, lack of seed and planting materials. The diverse topography coupled with environmental heterogeneity offers favorable environments for pasture species, herbaceous legumes and browse trees/shrubs. Hence, assessing the conditions, challenges, opportunities and recommendations of improved forage production is very imperative for effective and efficient utilization of these feed resources to boost the productivity of the livestock sector in the country. Keywords: improved forages, nutrition, crop residues, challenges, utilization DOI : 10.7176/JBAH/9-21-02 Publication date: November 30 th 2019
Highlights
The national income of Ethiopia is mainly dependent up on Agriculture by which the livestock sub- sector plays a significant role on it (Alemayehu 2012) and at a household levels as well (Gebreegziabher and Tsegay 2016)
The main livestock feed resources accessible in Ethiopia are natural pastures, crop residues and aftermath grazing (Adugna 2008) and (Getnet 2012). These feed resources are very low in quality having high fibre, with low to moderate digestibility and low levels of nitrogen (Tsige-Yohanes 2000), which might be linked with a low voluntary intake, resulting in inadequate nutrient supply, low productivity and even weight loss
One of the major bottlenecks to increase livestock production in Ethiopia is the shortage of feed for different livestock
Summary
The national income of Ethiopia is mainly dependent up on Agriculture by which the livestock sub- sector plays a significant role on it (Alemayehu 2012) and at a household levels as well (Gebreegziabher and Tsegay 2016). It contributes much to supplement low quality feed resources such as crop residues and pasture roughages there by overcoming the dry season constraints affecting livestock production. Improved forage production strategies Natural grazing and browse, crop residues, improved pasture, forage crops and agro-industrial by-products are the main livestock feed resources in Ethiopia.
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