Poster prepared by Kindu Mekonnen, Alan Duncan, Diego Valbuena, Bruno Gerard, Dagnachew Lule, Mesfin Bahta and Gedion Rachier at the International Conference on “Challenges and Opportunities for Agricultural Intensification of the Humid Highland Systems of Sub-Saharan Africa”, Kigali, Rwanda, 24-27 October 2011.

1. Intensification of crop-livestock farming systems in East Africa: A comparison of
3 sites in the highlands of Ethiopia and Kenya
Kindu Mekonnen, Alan Duncan, Diego Valbuena, Bruno Gerard (ILRI),
Dagnachew Lule (Oromia Agricultural Research Institute), Mesfin
Bahta (Amhara Regional Agricultural Research Institute) and Gedion
Rachier (Kenya Agricultural Research Institute)
1. Introduction
Small scale crop-livestock farms represent a large fraction of the rural population in the East African
highlands. Yet, the level and pace of intensification vary among regions, villages and farms.
Determinants for crop-livestock intensification include population increase, economic opportunities,
cultural preferences, climatic events, lack of capital to purchase crop and livestock inputs and labour
bottlenecks. The evolution of crop-livestock interactions in Sub-Saharan Africa follows four major
phases. Those are pre intensification phase (crops and livestock are independent activities), the
phase that corresponds to the emergence of crop-livestock interactions, diversification and
specialization phases (Powell and Williams, 1993).
Studying the level of crop-livestock intensification in the east African sites helps to identify gaps,
opportunities and develop short to long term interventions. The objectives of this study were to (i) Fig 3. Distance of villages to market and other Fig 4. Crop residue transportation to
compare the extent of crop-livestock intensification in terms of inputs utilization, and access to institutions. The number of villages for the study at markets in Nekemte and the surrounding
markets and services, (ii) assess constraints of crop-livestock intensification, and (iii) explore options each site are eight. areas.
to overcome constraints of the existing crop-livestock intensification in three sites in the highlands of
Ethiopia and Kenya.
(a)
2. Research methodologies
Identified three sites in the two east African countries (Ethiopia and Kenya). Kobo and Nekemte
sites represented the north eastern and western parts of Ethiopia whereas Kakamega represented
the western parts of Kenya (Fig 1).
Selected eight villages in each of the three sites
based on market and road access: Near-Near: near to
road, near to market; Near-Far: near to road, far from
market; Far-Near: far from road, near to market; and
Far-Far: far from road, far from market.
Identified 10-20 farmers in each village to respond as a
group during the final village survey. Fig 5. Access of villagers to (a) livestock and (b) crop extension experts in the three east African
sites.
Considered a total of 24 villages in the three sites.
Fig 1. Location map of Ethiopia and Kenya
3. Results
Table 1. Characteristics of the three study sites in east Africa.
Kobo Nekemte Kakamega
Altitude 1416-1634 1748-2418 1426-1719
Major soil types Vertisol Nitisol Oxisol
Mean annual rainfall (mm) 768 1037 2009
o
Mean annual temp ( C) 30 29 28
Total village population 330-2250 196-391 400-5000
Fig 6. Main constraints of (a) crop and (b) livestock production in the three east African sites.
Total village HHs 66-450 35-70 80-1200
Total village land (ha) 77-910 74-164 200-900
Total cultivated land (ha) 66-280 61-149 160-810
Major crops sorghum, teff maize, teff maize, beans 4. Discussion
TLU (tropical livestock unit) 141-1004 69-213 121-673
Villages in Kakamega and Nekemte receive adequate annual rainfall that can contribute to crop-
livestock intensification (Table 1).
About 10 % of the households in Kakamega keep crossbred cattle whereas all the households in
Table 2. Land allocated (ha) for growing crops in the rainy season and
households keeping cattle (%) at the three east African sites. Kobo and Nekemte keep only indigenous cattle (Table 2).
The percentages of households that apply chemical fertilizers in Nekemte and Kakamega are quite
Kobo Nekemte Kakamega significant when compared to the Kobo site (Fig 2a). High rainfall, the nature of the soil type (P-
Cropping systems fixing) and the production systems are pressing farmers to apply chemical fertilizers and sustain
cereals 963 (97) 581 (74) 1238 (31)
productivity of crops in the two sites.
legumes 19 (2) 13 (2) 859 (22)
oil crops nd 54 (7) nd Dry fodder (crop residues + stubble grazing) and green fodder (Napier grass + crop residues) cover
hort. crops 5 (1) 24 (3) 1776 (44) 99 and 78 % of ruminant dry season feed intake in Kobo and Kakamega sites (Fig 2b).
fallow nd 107 (14) 133 (3) Villages in Nekemte are distant from input and output markets (Fig 3), and have poor road
Households keeping cattle (%) infrastructures. As a result, smallholder farmers depend on inefficient forms of input and output
cross breeds 0.0 0.0 9.6 transportation systems (Fig 4).
indigenous breeds 100.0 100.0 90.4
Villagers in Kobo and Nekemte meet crop and livestock extension experts and get their advise
nd refers no data
Numbers in parentheses represent percent of area coverage. regularly (Fig 5a and b). The allocation of 3-4 development agents (DAs ) at Kebele level is one of
the reasons for improved information exchange between farmers and DAs in the Ethiopian sites.
Intensification of crop production is constrained by weeds, diseases and pests, and high input and
low output prices whereas livestock production is limited mainly by feed shortage, diseases, and
endo and ectoparasites (Fig 6a and b).
(a) (b)
5. Conclusion and recommendations
The three study sites in east Africa are found at different crop-livestock intensification level because of
variability in rainfall, adoption of crop and livestock technologies, and access to input/output markets.
Dealing with some of the constraints that affect crop and livestock production could lead to a more
sustainable intensification of crop-livestock farming in the East African highlands.
6. References
Powell, J.M. and Williams, T.O. 1993. An overview of mixed farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa:
Fig 2. Use of (a) cropping technologies and (b) dry season lives feed sources in the 3 east African sites. International Livestock Centre for Africa. Livestock and sustainable nutrient cycling in mixed farming
systems of sub- Saharan Africa. Volume II: technical papers. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
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