This document outlines a plan to improve the goat value chain in Waq Abergelle, Ethiopia through addressing feed shortages, improving animal health and implementing a breed improvement program. It also recommends improving linkages between producers, providing capacity building for producers and extension agents on efficient feed utilization and goat finishing, and developing packages to help producers meet quality standards. Key challenges include disease incidence, feed shortages, low productivity, lack of linkages and knowledge, and shortages of quality goats on the market.

1. • Address feed shortages
• Improve animal health - input supplies
• Implement breed improvement program
including creating awareness of inbreeding
and benefits of sharing bucks
• Improve horizontal and vertical linkages
• Needs-based capacity building for producers
and extension agents (on efficient utilization
of feed resources and finishing goats for
markets)
• Develop a package to help producers meet
quality standards (fattening, training)
Research and development
‘best bets’
Challenges in the value chain
This document is licensed for use under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported Licence
May 2013
Small ruminant value chain development in Waq Abergelle, Ethiopia
“Our Vision: By 2020, we endeavor to see (safe) sustainable and market oriented Abergelle goat farming benefiting all actors
and satisfying consumer requirements and contributing access to balanced nutrition for all”
• Incidence of infectious diseases (pasteurellosis, coenurosis, PPR) and
internal and external parasites
• Incidence of abortion and high kid mortality
• Feed shortage during dry season and lack of alternative sources
• Low productivity of Abergelle goats
• Lack of vertical and horizontal linkages of sheep producers
• Shortage of quality goats on the market
• Producers lack knowledge of improved feeding methods
Partners: Amhara Region Livestock Agency, Sekota
Dryland Agricultural Research Center, ICARDA, ILRI,
EMDTI, NVI, FAO
Altitude 1340-2200
Habitat Semi-arid
Distance from Addis 770
Production system Crop-livestock
Human population 47,106
% of female headed household 8
Major products Meat, milk
http://livestockfish.cgiar.org