Practices Of Pastoralists Research Articles

Love your wet grass! Dry season grazing reserves show highest grass regrowth in communal semi-arid rangelands of Tanzania.

Land management by seasonal migratory herding, traditionally implemented by pastoralists, has allowed semi-arid rangeland ecosystems to remain productive and resilient to highly erratic, seasonal rainfall patterns. Changing pastoralist practices and rainfall patterns due to climate change have the potential to negatively influence the resilience of rangelands. To test the impact of different communal rangeland practices and increasing frequency of disturbance on the rangelands' vegetation, we established a clipping experiment in three rangeland management types: rainy season rangeland, dry season rangeland and seasonal exclosures, in the Maasai Steppe, northern Tanzania. Across these rangeland management types, we tested two clipping frequencies monthly vs. once per growing period and either fenced or open to grazing (herbivory) over two consecutive growing periods. We found that rainy season rangeland exhibited lowest regrowth rates and highest proportion of bare ground across herbivory, clipping frequency and growing period. When rainfall was low, seasonal exclosures showed lowest proportion of bare ground across herbivory and clipping frequency and plots that were seasonally clipped and excluded herbivores generated significantly more grass biomass, higher grass regrowth rates and lowest proportion of bare ground compared to all other treatments. Excluding herbivores had little impact on the vegetation biomass and cover but had a positive impact on grass regrowth rates when rainfall was high. Seasonal clipping allowed for lower proportion of bare ground, and in most cases higher regrowth rates and higher biomass compared to monthly clipping. We conclude that traditional seasonal migratory herding is a relevant concept to sustain rangeland productivity and resilience under increasing intensity of disturbance if grazing pressure on rainy season rangelands is adapted to rainfall conditions and sufficient resting time after heavy defoliation is granted. Dry season grazing (including rainy season resting) proved to be the most sustainable concept to maintain regrowth and control erosion.

DEMYSTIFYING AGRICULTURAL POPULISM IN MAASAI RANGELANDS IN THE SOUTHWESTERN KENYA

Agricultural expansion in Kenya’s Amboseli region has resulted in proven negative effects both on native megafauna that use the ecosystem as a dispersal area, as well as on grazing and water resources utilized by local livestock herds. While community conservancy programs supported by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) provide an ecologically sustainable alternative to farming’s increasing popularity, the claim that agriculture is the most profitable land-use option for the region remains dominant –– even as increasingly frequent droughts interrupt agricultural processes. This study presents a comparative analysis of the overall benefit of land-use– agriculture and conservancies– in the Amboseli region. We draw on fieldwork conducted between March - May 2023, in the former Kimana Group Ranch in the Amboseli region of southwestern Kenya. Data was collected through household surveys with 150 landowners, and key informant interviews with leaders and officers of various conservancies and NGOs in the area. We conducted approximate analyses of the annual cash flow reported by each household to compare the profitability of different land-use options. The results of the study show that, while agriculture is by far the most popular land-use option in Amboseli, the region’s traditional pastoralist practices remain the most financially stable and lucrative land-use option. Leasing land for conservation through community conservancies was the second most profitable. Irrigated agriculture, mostly practiced by non-Maasai people, showed relatively short-lived financial returns. We argue that increased farming in Maasai rangelands is fueled primarily by land privatization and the promise of immediate profits –– promises whose benefits are far outweighed by long-term economic and socio-ecological consequences. Considering that indigenous Maasai pastoralism is most sustainable for the semiarid rangeland and that our research indicated agriculture is practiced most by non-Maasai, we argue for an examination of how traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) competes with non-indigenous practices, especially considering that rangelands in East Africa are increasingly becoming fragile due to climate change.<p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/soc/0821/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Pastoralists Towards Tick Bites, and Tick Control in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Pastoralists regularly come in contact with ticks as they herd their animals and are exposed to pathogens that cause zoonotic diseases. No study has been conducted in Nigeria to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of these Pastoralists towards ticks, tick bite, and tick control, and thus this research. A KAP survey of pastoralists (n = 119) was conducted in Plateau State, Nigeria. Data generated were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The majority of the pastoralists (99.2%) had knowledge of ticks, with 79% of them being aware that ticks attach and bite humans, whereas only 30.3% believed that ticks transmit diseases to humans. Eighty-four per cent of the pastoralists do not wear protective clothing while herding their animals and 81.5% indicated to having been bitten by ticks, whereas hospital visit after tick bite was low (7.6%). Statistically significant variables were observed when knowledge of the respondents were compared in relation to the ability of ticks to cause diseases (Χ2 = 9.980, P = 0.007); hospital visit after a bite (Χ2 = 11.453, P = 0.003); and the use of protective clothing for herding (Χ2 = 22.596, P = 0). The main tick control measure was hand picking (58.8%). The pastoralists were unaware of the ability of ticks to transmit zoonotic pathogens. Preventive practices were insufficient to reduce tick bites, and thus were constantly exposed to tick-borne diseases. This study hopes to provide important insights for the development of educational awareness programmes for the pastoralists and serve as a guide for the health workers in designing future preventive programmes against tick-borne zoonoses in Nigeria.

Pastoralism, hunting, and coexistence: Domesticated and wild bovids in Neolithic Sudan

AbstractThe interactions between mobile pastoralists and semi‐sedentary Nilotic foraging groups in the Middle Nile Valley had long‐term implications for the development of social complexity as seen in the ancient African kingdom of Kerma. This study presents the results of the zooarcheological analysis of animal remains from two sites in the 4th cataract of the Nile valley, El Ginefab and Shemkhiya, and compares findings to other published sites in the region during a period of significant climatic change. Results indicate that the communities living at Shemkhiya and El Ginefab differed in terms of their meat preferences and their primary modes of bovid acquisition, and that pastoralist practices changed at El Ginefab through time. Hunting remained an important feature of subsistence practices, and regional comparisons indicate that the acquisition of wild bovids did not disappear with incorporation of domesticated livestock; however, pastoralists limited their hunting practices to smaller wild bovids in contrast to neighboring forager populations. A clear chronological overlap is documented between communities reliant on pastoralism and those reliant on hunting as a subsistence practice for several millennia. This highlights the need to more explicitly characterize and understand the dynamics of coexistence for the spread and establishment of pastoralism regionally, as well as how social ties, subsistence practices, and land use practices overlapped during periods of critical environmental changes and their implications for emerging social complexity.

Pigs and polities in Iron Age and Roman Anatolia: An interregional zooarchaeological analysis

Anatolia witnessed an increase in mobility and interaction during the Iron Age. Peoples from Southeastern Europe and Southwest Asia migrated into and across Anatolia. At the same time, under the influence of expanding and competing polities, trade and military mobility reinforced supra-regional networks across land and sea. Little is known about how animal husbandry practices in Iron Age Anatolia changed in the face of these large-scale movements of people and goods. Especially little understood remains how past mobility and connectivity influenced pig husbandry, as pigs are generally considered rather immobile animals, and Iron Age animal mobility studies tend to focus on pastoralist practices (e.g. Hammer and Arbuckle, 2017). Yet, pig husbandry practices are highly plastic, and may have changed dynamically along with evolving economic and socio-cultural circumstances during the first millennium BC. In addition, palaeogenetic studies provide evidence that durign the Iron Age pigs with European lineages appeared and subsequently spread over Anatolia (Ottoni et al., 2013) suggesting pigs may have been actively incorporated in trade and mobility. Building on these two observations, this paper explores pig husbandry practices over the course of the Anatolian Iron Age (1200–600 BCE) by (1) discussing diachronic change in relative abundance of pigs and mortality patterns over different sites in first millennium BC Anatolia; (2) investigating whether the introduction of European pigs in Anatolia coincided with noticeable phenotypic changes in pig populations by looking at pig biometry using the R package zoolog. Primary data from various key sites are presented (Troy, Klazomenai, Gordion, Kerkenes, Kinet Höyük) alongside a meta-analysis of published zooarchaeological data.

How <i>gezhemgen<i/>, the oak manna, has been forgotten in Dersim (Tunceli) in the Upper Euphrates basin: extractive capitalism and local knowledge

This study contributes to literature on effects of extractive capitalism on sedentary subsistence herding and loss of traditional knowledge, in this case about a wild edible, oak manna gezhemgen. I present local narratives explaining relationships between oak forests, climatic conditions and agricultural cycle in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. Gezhemgen is a sign of a good harvest and signifies power of fertility (being also called the power of Hizir, a deity). Pastoralist practices are affected by intrastate war and appropriation of governance rights to grazing. There is a relationship between accessibility of pastures and vertical transmission of knowledge on flora of highlands to young generations. Narratives were gathered during ethnographic fieldwork between 2011-2017 in Pulumur, Ovacik, Nazimiye and Kalan districts of Dersim. The food gathering behaviors of local populations are also influenced by urbanization, military violence and expropriation of use rights on common grazing grounds. The article reveals multiple effects of transitions from customary systems of sedentary pastoralism to commercialized modes of agricultural production.

Emerging pastoralist practices for fulfilling market requirements under stratified cattle production systems in Kenya’s drylands

Context Stratified cattle production (SCP) systems, which involve buying lean animals from pastoral areas and fattening them in locations that have better production conditions, are re-emerging in Kenya’s drylands. Aims This study investigated how pastoralists in the drylands of Kenya endeavour to fulfil cattle marketing requirements under the SCP systems. Methods Purposefully identified cattle fattening entrepreneurs in Tana River (n = 10) and Narok (n = 12) counties were interviewed on the requirements they demand in buying animals from pastoralists. Using the information generated from the entrepreneurs, pastoralists (Tana River, n = 10; Narok, n = 12) were interviewed on how they respond to the entrepreneurs’ requirements and make sales. The information was triangulated with a focus group discussion in each county whose members were knowledgeable traders and pastoralists. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, randomly selected pastoral households (Tana River, n = 86; Narok, n = 69) were interviewed on cattle sales made through SCP systems. Key results The results showed that under the SCP systems, pastoralists in the two counties were required to sell cattle of particular qualities, comply with unpredictable supply orders, sell in secondary markets or near urban centres, use sale agents and undertake high commercial off-take rates if the demand arose. To meet these requirements, the pastoralists devised several strategies and practices, including changes in the animal husbandry practices, keeping ‘emergency’ animals in the home-based herds to comply with unpredictable demands, arrangements with market intermediaries to sell in secondary markets and building buyer–seller trust to facilitate sales through agents. In adopting these practices, pastoralists in both counties managed to sell approximately one or two animals per household through the SCP systems over a period of 12 months, which accounted for ~28% of the annual commercial cattle off-take from the households. Conclusion Pastoralists change their management practices in response to livestock marketing requirements and challenges, enhancing their integration into the market economy. Implication The information could guide stakeholders to formulate strategies for improving pastoralists’ involvement in cattle marketing through SCP systems.

English

Range pastures provide the basic ruminant feeds resource for livestock production in semi-arid areas despite ruminant nutrition remaining a challenge affecting productivity. Different livestock development interventions have been promoted to improve livestock nutrition with low farmer adoption rate. A cross sectional exploratory study was conducted between March and July 2018 to identify the drivers of range pastures improvement technologies adoption in rangelands with specific objectives as: (a) Assessing the knowledge, attitudes and practices of pastoralists in regard to range pasture improvement practices and technologies; (b) identifying the forage species planted by pastoralists and strategies for their sustainable utilization; (c) identifying the incentives for the adoption and maintenance of range pasture improvement practices and; (d) identifying the key players and their roles in range pasture improvement promotion and constraints faced in attempt to improve rangeland pastures. A structured questionnaire guided interview was conducted with 294 agro pastoralists while qualitative data was obtained using, KII. Results revealed that farmers had knowledge on range pasture improvement technologies, although adoption rate was low (19.5%). The range pasture improvement practices, included: Pasture establishment, bush clearing, paddocking, conservation, reseeding and over-sowing and water development. However, results also revealed knowledge gaps in silage and hay making, reseeding and understanding principles of range management. The level of education, household income, off farm activities, access to laborers and credit, agriculture exhibitions, farmers’ meetings and on-farm demonstrations influenced farmers’ adoption of fodder production technologies. Farm gate milk prices, sensitization, financial support, farm output of adopters and inputs support seemed to drive farmers to improve their range pastures. These findings underline the importance of farm-gate milk prices and institutional support as drivers for farmer decision for investment in pasture improvement. Therefore, policy and development interventions should emphasize improvement of milk farm gate prices and farm support systems. Key words: Farm-gate milk prices, range over-sowing, re-seeding, species recruitment.

Traditional Rangeland Resource Utilization Practices and Pastoralists’ Perceptions on Land degradation in Madda Walabu district, South-east Ethiopia

A study was conducted to examine rangeland resource utilization practices of pastoralists and rangeland degradation in Madda Walabu district, south- east Ethiopia. A single-visit survey method was used to gather data through a structured questioner (130 households), group discussions and direct observations. Free grazing of communal land (100%), use of enclosures (89%), division of herds based on species and class of animal (59%), migration (79%) and seasonal assessments of the condition of rangeland were the basic traditional rangeland management practices. About 91% of pastoralists indicated that the condition of their rangelands was poor. The most dominant use for woody plants was for construction (91%), followed by browse (68%) and medicinal purposes (25%). More than 86% of the respondents considered that their grazing lands now carried more bushes and shrubs than they did 30 years ago. Feed and water shortages and drought were identified as current challenges for pastoralists, with migration the main coping strategy, in spite of the hardships it entails. Rejuvenating the existing rangelands requires the development of a range- land management strategy involving pastoralists and other stakeholders, with all participants fully committed to a successful outcome. A reduction in livestock numbers must be an essential component of any future strategy. Keywords : Pastoral perception, Rangeland degradation, Resource utilization, South-east Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/10-21-03 Publication date: November 30 th 2020

Commons Research and Pastoralism in the Context of Variability

Abstract Research has shown that pastoralism and the management of the commons are connected (Bollig and Lesogorol 2016). In this article I discuss how the concept of variability, which emerged from discussions of dryland ecologies in the 1980s (Homewood 2008), can inform and enhance research on the commons and vice versa. Research on the commons can further elucidate the understanding of pastoralist practices. I conclude with reflections drawn from some empirical examples in the literature, the use of the socio-ecological systems (SES) framework, and discuss the benefits and potential problems when applied to heterogeneous and flexible pastoralist practices and to the pastoral management of the commons.

Status, kinship, and place of burial at Early Bronze Age Bab adh-Dhra': A biogeochemical comparison of charnel house human remains.

The Early Bronze Age (EBA; ca. 3,600-2000 BCE) of the southern Levant underwent considerable transformation as agro-pastoral communities began to utilize their land more intensively, constructing larger, fortified towns prior to site abandonment at the end of the third millennium. At the site of Bab adh-Dhra' in Jordan, the dead of the Early Bronze (EB) II-III (ca. 3,100-2,500 BCE) period were communally interred within charnel houses, but important disparities between these structures and their contents may be reflective of ownership and use by particular extended kin groups whose activity patterns, subsistence strategies, and even social status may have differed from one another. Subsequently, we hypothesized that differences in mobility and dietary intake may differentiate tomb groups from one another. Dental enamel from 31 individuals interred in three different Early Bronze Age charnel houses (A56, A22, A55) at Bab adh-Dhra', Jordan were analyzed for strontium, oxygen, and carbon isotope values. Strontium isotope ratios (range: 0.70793-0.70842) possessed medians that did not differ statistically from one another, but had ranges that exhibited significant differences in variance. Carbon isotope values ( = -13.2 ± 0.5‰, 1σ) were not significantly different. General similarities in human isotopic signatures between EB II-III charnel houses A22 and A55 suggest that their activities were likely similar to one another and agree with findings from excavated domestic spaces with little archaeological evidence for economic, social, or political differentiation. More variable strontium isotope ratios and lower carbon isotope values from A22 could reflect a greater involvement with pastoralist practices or regional trade, including the consumption of more 13 C-depleted foods, while those in A55 may have led a more sedentary lifestyle with greater involvement in cultivating orchard crops. All charnel houses contained nonlocal individuals likely originating from other Dead Sea Plain sites with no EB II-III cemeteries of their own, supporting the idea that extended kin groups throughout the region returned to Bab adh-Dhra' to bury their dead.

Isotopic perspectives on pastoralist mobility in the Late Bronze Age South Caucasus

Isotopic methods of studying the geographic and seasonal movements of herd animals provide new data pertinent to ongoing scholarly re-consideration of the relationships between pastoralist mobility and the development of new forms of political organization. Radiogenic strontium and mass-dependent oxygen and carbon isotope analysis on a large sample of herd animals (sheep, goats, and cattle) from Late Bronze Age (1500–1100 BC) sites in the Tsaghkahovit Plain, Armenia indicate that long-distance movements across geological zones were not common, but that animals were drinking from a range of water sources. Connecting this variation to movement is complicated by limited intra-tooth variation in δ13C values. Data from the study provide preliminary evidence for foddering. These results reveal a gap between the emphasis on mobility in theoretical models of pastoralism and political organization and the way that animal diets mediate isotopic proxies for movement. These interpretive difficulties emphasize the need to consider herds’ seasonal and geographic movement within a wider range of pastoralist practices. These findings also highlight the need for large sample sizes in isotopic investigations of pastoralist mobility, in order to accurately identify and evaluate the diversity in both geographic and seasonal movements within a single ancient pastoralist system.

Responses of snow leopards, wolves and wild ungulates to livestock grazing in the Zorkul Strictly Protected Area, Tajikistan.

Long recognized as a threat to wildlife, livestock grazing in protected areas has the potential to undermine conservation goals, via competition, habitat degradation, human-carnivore conflict and disruption of predator-prey relationships. In the Strictly Protected Area Zorkul in Tajikistan (Zorkul Reserve), grazing is commonplace despite official prohibition, with potentially detrimental effects on local fauna, in particular, snow leopard Panthera uncia, wolf Canis lupus, brown bear Ursus arctos, argali sheep Ovis ammon, Asiatic ibex Capra sibirica, and long-tailed marmot Marmota caudata. To understand the impacts of grazing and associated human pastoralism on the large mammal community in Zorkul Reserve we used data from camera traps to build models of ungulate and carnivore site use intensity, and we investigated carnivore summer diets using microscopic scat analysis. While sample sizes limited our inference for several species, we found that site use of the most common ungulate, argali, decreased with proximity to herder’s camps, indicating possible displacement into sub-optimal habitats. However, no such pattern was present in carnivore site use. For wolf and snow leopard, the most frequently encountered prey items were argali and marmot, while bear depended almost exclusively on marmot. While current pastoralist practices in the reserve may not be incompatible with wildlife presence, our findings suggest that pastoralism may negatively impact ungulates by displacing them from otherwise suitable habitats, with unknown fitness consequences for ungulates or the predators that depend upon them. Managing Zorkul Reserve and other actively grazed protected areas to meet potentially competing demands of local pastoralist communities and conservation will require careful consideration of such interactions to minimize the risk of cascading negative impacts on wildlife.

Milk quality and food practices in dairy cattlefarming in the semi-arid region of Setif

The purpose of this work was to bring out the diversity of milks produced in the semi-arid Algerian Setif area and link it to the practices of pastoralists mainly in the food sector. In 24 dairy farms, representing different feeding strategies, a breeding follow-up detailing the ways of driving cows was adopted. In parallel, a seasonal analysis of the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of 144 mixed milk samples (6 samples per season /spring, summer/ and per farm during two passages) in 24 farms was carried out. Milk quality parameters were highly variable and generally satisfactory. The physicochemical composition of the milks could be described as average for the majority of the samples, and marked a remarkable normativity. The majority of the farm milk samples displayed average fat content compliant. It was below 35 g/l in only 21.52% of the samples and showed significant fluctuations during the summer season, ranging from 31 to 41.7 g/l. Seven farms had average contents of above 35g/l for both periods. Variations in the butter fat between the different farms could be explained by the production and eating behavior strategies adopted by each farm. The protein content recorded in both seasons appeared much more stable than the fat content of all the milk collected. The average protein level for the 24 farms was 34.21g/kg. However, 8.33% of the milk samples in spring and 12.5% of those collected in summer had levels considered insufficient (less than 33g/kg). The microbiological results were highly variable with average counts of total aerobic mesophilic microflora exceeding the maximum standard of 105 CFU/ml. Hygienic quality was a concern for all milk samples despite the variety of situations. The typology of milk samples allowed to describe the diversity in milk quality based on variations in the levels of useful materials and fluctuations in total microflora.

Landscapes of Prehistoric Northwestern Sichuan: From Early Agriculture to Pastoralist Lifestyles

ABSTRACTWe describe a preliminary survey of a relatively unknown part of the eastern Himalayas: northwestern Sichuan. This survey revealed that three phases of occupation are represented across the landscape. Large settlements with dense remains characterize the landscape during the Neolithic (3400–2000 cal b.c.). Following a hiatus in occupation, stone-cist graves characterize the region during the Bronze Age (1450–800 cal b.c.). The lack of settlement remains from this period indicates that mobile pastoralism increased in importance. Finally, between a.d. 500 and 1500, dense scatters of ceramics over a wide altitudinal range correspond to a fragmentation in Tibetan history, when local warlords established themselves in the region. While some changes in occupation and subsistence practices are linked to climate change, others relate to changes in political power. We argue that further survey work is needed to expand our understanding of past land use and the development of pastoralist practices.

Changes in pastoralist commons management and their implications in Karamoja (Uganda)

This article analyzes the progression from traditional to current pastoralist practices and the contemporary diversification of livelihoods of the Jie group of the Karimojong in the Kotido district in Karamoja (Uganda). the focus is on changes of land use, framed by the commons debate. We identify factors that have forced the Karimojong to abandon their traditional mobile pastoral lifestyle and to adopt new income-generating activities, including charcoal production and brick-making, which may have detrimental effects on local forest and soil cover. These have included repeated enclosure of common grazing lands by colonial and post-colonial governments. We conducted empirical research (interviews and focus group discussions) in 2012. They confirm the superiority of traditional pastoralist practices (in terms of safeguarding sustained productivity of pastures) compared to the current situation. An important factor leading to current unsustainable pastoralist practice involved the mass acquisition of firearms by the Karimojong in the 1970s and 1980s, violent cattle raiding and subsequent unequal disarmament and establishment of army-controlled cattle herding. This radical enclosure of the commons by the government, linked to impoverishment of a large part of the population in terms of cattle numbers, has necessitated the emergence of new, potentially environmentally detrimental livelihoods for the Jie. However, the escalation of the firearm crisis cannot be seen in isolation from a century of commons enclosure by governments, curtailing traditional practices and leading to insecurity and impoverishment of the Karimojong. The situation is exacerbated by current policies of the Ugandan government, geared to agricultural sedentarization, which may be unsustainable given the local natural and climatic conditions.

The Path to Greener Pastures: Pastoralism, the Backbone of the World’s Drylands

The International Fund for Agricultural Development has commissioned this study on the development of pastoralist and livestock breeders around the world. The report draws on some 20 years of work by the members of Veterinaires Sans Frontieres international network and their partners in the countries where they operate. It is based on four components: A global assessment of literature and policy documents on pastoralism. A survey on the enabling environment and policies in 26 countries with large numbers of pastoralists. A survey of pastoralist practices and realities in eight pastoralist “hotspots”. Five participatory regional stakeholder gatherings. We defined pastoralism as a livelihood in a territorial context Pastoralism is a livelihood system based on grazing animals in a way that supports communities on marginal land subject to climatic extremes. Their resource management methods provide pastoralists with sustainability, sovereignty, and flexibility. Pastoralism is in particular marked by rights to commons, customary values, and ecosystem services, which interlink the ecosystem with human wellbeing and the economy. It has a very low degree of dependency on external inputs and by a high degree of resilience to shocks, so can switch relatively flexibly from subsistence to market orientation without being transformed dramatically. The community capital framework used in this report helps us recognize the essential interaction between human wellbeing and natural capital, reaching from subsistence to complex economies. Many ecosystem services support human wellbeing, and the pastoral system in turn returns important services to the environment. Pastoralists can adapt themselves swiftly to changing economic conditions. Valuing pastoralism Pastoralism is receiving increased attention, because of its benefits to rangelands and mountain ecosystems. As a proof of this, we can mention the recently established Pastoralist Knowledge Hub initiative, aiming at facilitating pastoralists participation in policy dialogue; the UNEP declaration “Combating desertification, land degradation and drought and promoting sustainable pastoralism and rangelands” adopted in May 2016; and the coordinated efforts of a number of organisations, research institutes and civil society, to lobby for the establishment of an International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, which would provide a long-awaited visibility. Yet awareness of the values of pastoralism remains poor and valuations exercises are lacking. There is a need for research to measure the economic value of pastoralism: the macroeconomic impact of pastoralism, the income of pastoral households, viability thresholds and targeting pastoral households, as well as data collection on livestock and research to understand pastoral systems and social dynamics and attempts to combat prejudices about pastoralism.

Awareness, knowledge and practices of pastoralists towards contagious bovine pleuro pneumonia in Kaduna State, Nigeria

This study was conducted to determine the awareness, knowledge and practices of pastoralists on contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in cattle in 3 selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) (Ikara, Chikun and Kauru) of Kaduna State. A cattle population of a minimum of 20 heads was considered as a herd in this study and a total of 90 open and close ended structured questionnaires were designed and administered to all the 90 herdsmen that gave their consent for this study. The study revealed that, the level of awareness of CBPP by the pastoralists was 80 (88.9%) and formal education of 11 (12.2%), while knowledge of CBPP in the communities showed 66 (73.3%). Those that experienced outbreaks, as well as lost animals to CBPP, were 25 (27.8%) and 17 (18.9%), respectively. Of the respondents, 67 (74.4%) admitted vaccinating their cattle at various times, which is not regular, thereby achieving a low vaccination coverage of 36.7%, while, 23 (25.5%) do not vaccinate at all. Fourty-six (51.1%) acquired the CBPP vaccines from the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Plateau State, while, 21 (23.3%) from the open market. Personnel used in the administration of vaccine were; Veterinarians 14 (15.6%), animal health workers 18(20%), drug vendors 18 (20%) and herdsmen 40 (44.4%). The study has shown that most pastoralists within the study area are aware of CBPP and have good knowledge of the disease. However, unethical practices such as sourcing and indiscriminate administering of vaccines as well as irregular vaccination schedule may hamper successful disease control. Pastoralists should be encouraged to intensify the pursuit for formal education. Key words: Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, awareness, knowledge, practices, pastoralists.

English

This study was conducted to determine the awareness, knowledge and practices of pastoralists on contagious bovine pleuropneumonia (CBPP) in cattle in 3 selected Local Government Areas (LGAs) (Ikara, Chikun and Kauru) of Kaduna State. A cattle population of a minimum of 20 heads was considered as a herd in this study and a total of 90 open and close ended structured questionnaires were designed and administered to all the 90 herdsmen that gave their consent for this study. The study revealed that, the level of awareness of CBPP by the pastoralists was 80 (88.9%) and formal education of 11 (12.2%), while knowledge of CBPP in the communities showed 66 (73.3%). Those that experienced outbreaks, as well as lost animals to CBPP, were 25 (27.8%) and 17 (18.9%), respectively. Of the respondents, 67 (74.4%) admitted vaccinating their cattle at various times, which is not regular, thereby achieving a  low vaccination coverage of 36.7%, while, 23 (25.5%) do not vaccinate at all. Fourty-six (51.1%) acquired the CBPP vaccines from the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI), Vom, Plateau State, while, 21 (23.3%) from the open market. Personnel used in the administration of vaccine were; Veterinarians 14 (15.6%), animal health workers 18(20%), drug vendors 18 (20%) and herdsmen 40 (44.4%). The study has shown that most pastoralists within the study area are aware of CBPP and have good knowledge of the disease. However, unethical practices such as sourcing and indiscriminate administering of vaccines as well as irregular vaccination schedule may hamper successful disease control. Pastoralists should be encouraged to intensify the pursuit for formal education.   Key words: Mycoplasma mycoides subsp. mycoides, awareness, knowledge, practices, pastoralists.

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Pastoralists on Bovine Brucellosis in the North Senatorial District of Kaduna state, Nigeria

Knowledge, Attitude and Practices of Pastoralists on Bovine Brucellosis in the North Senatorial District of Kaduna state, Nigeria