The Challenge of Provision of Feed in the Semi Arid Areas, the Case of Chare and Yellen Villages of Shoa Robit, Ethiopia

Abstract

A survey was conducted at Chare and Yellen villages in the semi arid area of Kwet District, North Shoa, Amhra regional State, Ethiopia.  These villages represented the peri-urban and rural part of the district, thus enabling the assessment of the feed situation in two  different agricultural production systems. Participant farmers were randomly selected in both villages. From the village household listing,  ten percent from each village households were randomly selected to represent both male and female headed households.  Sorghum, tef and maize are the dominant crops, and horticultural crops are also produced. Cattle, goats, sheep and camels are the  dominant livestock species and grazing land is owned communally. Farm plots owned by households range between 0.5 and 2 ha,  signifying the limitations to allocated land for forage cropping because the farmers prefer to grow food and/or cash crops. About 10% of  the male respondents in Chare are landless, and rely on livestock for their livelihood, and access to market is not a limitation. None of the  respondents cultivate improved forage crops nor allocate land as pasture in any of the cropping months. Very few farmers in Yellen plant  maize as feed. Regardless of crop type, all crop residues are conserved as a dry season feed in a loose form, and no respondent stacks  sorghum stalks under shade. Lack of awareness and resource were mentioned as main reason for not constructing shade for crop  residues. Provision of adequate feed, especially in the dry season, remains a challenge to farmers in the villages of Chare and Yellen