Assessement Of Cattle Production And Marketing Practice In Lare Woreda, Nuer Zone, Gambella Reginal State, Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia is believed to have the largest livestock population in Africa. The diverse agro-climatic conditions of Ethiopia make it very suitable for the production of different kinds of livestock. Current knowledge on livestock marketing in lowland part of Ethiopia is poor and inadequate for designing policies and institutions meant to improve the livestock marketing system.The objective of this study was to assess the cattle production and marketing in Lare Woreda. To achieve the objectives data was collected by using survey questionnaire, key informant interview, observation, and focused group discussions from three kebeles and offices. From one hundred-eight-one participants, of which one hundred-forty-six respondents in questionnaire, thirty discussants and five interviewees were considered for data collection. Also systematic and purposive sampling techniques were employed in this study. The collected data was analyzed by describing or narrating qualitatively and using quantitative analysis techniques such as relative importance index, percentage, frequency and chi-square. Milk production,income generation and prestige were the dominant importance of cattle production in the study area. Selling, wealth and wedding were the major purpose of rearing cattle while rational/communal, individual and hiring person were herding systems in the District. Natural pasture is the major feed resource of the woreda. The prioritize constraints were feed shortage, disease and parasites, price variation, water scarcity, lack of veterinary and extension service, drought, lack of credit etc. based on their severity order. Depending on this study; travelling long distance area along with cattle to search food, using traditional medicine for medication, selling animals in cheap price during severity and storing crop residues at farm and near to home were the prominent indigenous knowledge that exercised to alleviate major constraints in the study area. Also, it is recommended that improved feeding and health management systems, market orientation, incorporation of indigenous knowledge and modern conservation methods and so on.