Livestock fattening value chain development: Interventions and lessons
1. Actors, service providers and linkages
Livestock Fattening value chain development
Interventions and lessons
Value chain interventions
Knowledge management
/skill development
Linking farmers/pastoralists with traders
on livestock fair
Organising farmers to ensure quality concentrate supply
Lessons and Challenges
Knowledge sharing, training, follow up of interventions, and partner linkages contribute to improving the•
skills and knowledge of value chain actors and service providers, including women
Forage development benefited animal producers on individual farms and on communal areas•
Development of forage seeds and vegetative planting material production/distribution from individual•
farms and FTCs was one of the drivers for such changes
Synergy between NRM and fodder development should be stressed for both animal production and•
apiculture in areas where the potential exists
Increased use of crop residues has positive effects on animal production, however technologies to•
improve nutritional value and uptake (chopping, straw treatment) have not yet seen wide spread adoption
Credit-based purchase of larger numbers of animals and other inputs was successfully tested. As a result,•
several fatteners moved from small to large ruminant fattening and/or other commercial enterprises
Community based insurance may reduce the risks associated with credit•
Community animal health workers can function in rural areas but require institutional back up from•
regional and federal level authorities
Linkages between feed companies, fattening groups, and private traders are emerging and should be•
further developed into agro dealership networks
Organized and systematic integration of breeding and fattening with desirable genetic traits should be•
emphasized in the future to ensure improved supply of animals
Matching the appropriate genetics of animals with the environment should be explored in certain areas•
for further development of market-oriented meat production systems
Rapid market assessment can help identify potential market outlets•
Additional ICT-supported information /knowledge via Ethiopian
Agriculture Portal (EAP) www.eap.gov.et
Use local markets as linkage platforms
between traders and fatteners
Use of indigenous breeds for fattening
Training farmers in chopping, UMB preparation and urea treatment
Targeting women and farmers with
entrepreneurial skills willing to
invest
Use of competition to promote fattening and marketing activity for small
ruminants
Promoting the use of adequate
forage
Urea molasses block locally produced
for supplemental feed
Existing rural shops : suppliers of supplemental feed and veterinary drugs
Fatteners
MoA, BoA, OoA, EARS
Private Sector
Cooperatives
Specialized farmers
Consultants
NGOs
Students
Microfinance institutions
Cooperatives
Private industry
Shops
Feed suppliers
Private industry
Cooperatives
Traders
Cooperative shops
Shops
Veterinary Clinics
Government
NGOs
MarketingCredit
Input supply
services
Knowledge/Skills
Better use of concentrates for fattening
Chopping and urea treatment of
sorghum stover
Better animal care for better results
Training of paravets
Organising awards for best
practitioners Woreda knowledge centers :
powerful institutions
Farmers and traders recognized the international and domestic•
market potential for live animals
Inadequate knowledge and skills on commercial production of•
live animals among value chain actors and service providers
Men were predominantly engaged in large animal production and•
sale. Women mostly participate in managing and sale of small
ruminants
Previous development efforts focused on promotion of small•
numbers of animals to improve food security/livelihood of
farmers, with little market-orientation
Dry season fodder scarcity (including crop residues) and limited•
availability of concentrate feed was prevalent
Animal health services were poorly developed, especially in rural•
areas
Marketing of animals was hampered by lack of market•
information and monopolistic market structures in which farmers
were often price takers
Free grazing system resulted in compacting of the soil leading to•
increased soil and water erosion
Initial diagnosis Knowledge
management
Capacity
development
Targeting
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Produced by ILRI KMIS June 2011
Input supply interventions
Production interventions
Processing / Marketing interventions