Assessing Feeds and Feed Availability for Dairy Cattle on Pemba Island of Zanzibar, Tanzania Brigitte L
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Assessing feeds and feed availability for dairy cattle on Pemba Island of Zanzibar, Tanzania Brigitte L. Maass 1, Ben Lukuyu 2, Asha Omar Fakih 3, Hamza Suleiman 3, Seif Khatib 3, Fred J. Wassena 4 & Samy B. Bacigale 5 1 CIAT, PO Box 823-00621, Nairobi, Kenya; Email: [email protected] ; 2 ILRI, PO Box 30709-00100, Nairobi, Kenya; Email: [email protected] 3 ASSP/ASDP-L Projects, Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Chake Chake, Pemba, Tanzania; Emails: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] 4 CIAT, c/o SUA, Morogoro, Tanzania; Email: [email protected] ; 5 Faculté d’Agronomie, UEA, Bukavu, DR Congo; Email: [email protected] Background Conclusions ≤ Pemba Island is part of Zanzibar archipelago, 1. Dairy cattle contribute strongly to the one of administrative regions of the United livelihoods of relatively poorer people. Republic of Tanzania. 2. Feeding can be enhanced, especially in the ≤ A high proportion of Pemba’s population is Tanga Wete dry season; BUT promoting and marketing of rural, with agriculture making an essential Kisiwani Pemba milk and milk products are currently more Chake contribution to livelihoods. Mkoani Chake important than increasing production. Pangani Livestock production is important agriculture. 3. Crop residues are underused and can be INDIAN Population density and rural poverty are high. particularly useful during the dry season. OCEAN ≤ Pemba is tsetse-free since 1997, and cattle 4. FEAST is a useful tool for rapid appraisal of population steadily increased, comprising Unguja feeding challenges and opportunities. largely local, so-called ‘Zanzibar Zebu’. Zanzibar Dairy contributes more to livelihood activities and household incomes (%) ≤ Milk production has increased in Pemba in Kisiwani (left) than in Chake Chake & Mkoani (right) despite relatively low productivity/cow. Fig.Bagamoyo 3. Location of Pemba in the Indian Ocean Also due to introduction of improved dairy Crops 34% Crops 49% cattle, although still few (<3%) and more Dar es Salaam Dairy 52% Dairy 35% prevalent in the rural-urban domain. Road-side grazing Dominant fodder crops in Kisiwani (left) and Chake Chake & Mkoani (right) Smallholder dairy unit 0.20 0.20 0.15 0.15 0.10 0.10 0.05 0.05 0.00 0.00 Area Area of fodder grown by by 6 interviewees (ha) Napier Signal Natural Bermuda Signal Napier Leucaena grass grass pasture grass grass grass leucocephala Feed resources across the year in Kisiwani (l.) and Chake Chake & Mkoani (r.) CP content of total diet in Kisiwani (left) and Chake Chake & Mkoani (right) 5 100 Crop residues 0% Purchased 7% Crop residues 1% 4 3 50 Signal grass for cut-and-carry 2 1 0 0 Relative rainfall (0-5) Relative availability (%) Results ≤ Local cattle are mainly tethered under shade Materials & Methods and graze on open land, e.g., along roadsides. Results ≤ Improved cattle are stall-fed with cut-and- ≤ Planted forages contribute markedly to feed ≤ To identify potential for feed interventions, carry grasses and often supplemented with quality (crude protein, CP) during the year. the dairy value chain was investigated on feedstuffs, like pollard, maize bran, rice Pemba Island in July 2012 by CIAT and ILRI in polish, minerals, and coconut or sunflower ≤ Strong seasonality affects grazing, drastically collaboration with local partners. cakes. reducing during dry season (Dec-Jan), when crop residues abound. ≤ The rapid Feed Assessment Tool ‘FEAST’ ≤ Collecting naturally occurring forages is the (Duncan et al. 2012) was applied in two group primary feed component throughout most of Little use seems to be made of these residues. sessions with overall 37 producers (7 women) the year, second is grazing. ≤ Feed for improved cows is supplemented with from Kisiwani, Chake Chake and Mkoani to ≤ Because of land scarcity, about 50% of the ‘imported’ pollard, maize bran, rice polish, appraise feed availability. farmers minerals, and coconut or sunflower cakes. ≤ Results combine findings from two focus Established plots with improved forages, e.g. ≤ Cattle are also supplied with garden and group discussions and 13 individual Signal ( Brachiaria decumbens ) and Napier kitchen wastes – like peels of cassava, interviews. grass ( Pennisetum purpureum ), or banana, sweet potato – as well as banana ≤ Data analysis was through FEAST MS Excel Harvest leaves from planted trees/shrubs like pseudo-stems and peels, pineapple waste, template. Gliricidia sepium and Leucaena leucocephala . breadfruit, and food left from the household. Acknowledgements Ready collaboration and openness in sharing views and experiences by all respondents to FEAST is thanked for. The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) funded the study through the MilkIT project ‘Enhancing dairy-based livelihoods in India and the United Republic of Tanzania through feed innovation FEAST focus group discussion FEAST individual interview and value chain development approaches ’. Groundnut cake as feed Molasses in an agrovet shop Presented at ‘Agricultural development within the rural-urban continuum’, Tropentag Conference, 17-19 Sep. 2013, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.