Assessment of Impacts of Tsetse and Trypanosomosis Control Measures on Cattle Herd Composition and Performance in Southern Rift Valley
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2008-06
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Abstract
This study was conducted in the Wolayta and Gamogofa Zones of the Southern Nation Nationalities and People Region. Two districts, Kindo Koysha from Wolayta Zone (community tsetse controlled areas) and Arba-minch Zuria from Gamogofa Zone (tsetse challenged and STEP tsetse controlled areas) were selected purposely based on their similar type of agro ecology and the status of tsetse control to assess the impacts of tsetse and trypanosomosis control measures on cattle herd size and composition, milk yield and reproductive performances of cattle. Two Kebeles were selected randomly from each study area (tsetse challenged, STEP tsetse controlled and community tsetse controlled areas) and 50 households were selected randomly from each Kebele that made a total sample size of 300 households. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data and a follow up study was carried out on a total of purposely selected 45 prepartum cows to collect data on daily milk yield every two weeks and also check for the occurrence of postpartum heat and subsequent pregnancy. The results showed that land holding was significantly (P< 0.001) higher in community controlled areas (2.80 ha) followed by tsetse challenged (2.24 ha) and STEP controlled areas (1.44 ha). The total livestock holding by a household in tsetse challenged area (11.84 heads) was higher than the livestock holding in STEP tsetse controlled (9.82 heads) and community tsetse controlled (9.98 heads) areas (p<0.05). Livestock diseases were the first most important constraint of livestock production identified by 83% of respondents in tsetse challenged area. In STEP and community based controlled areas shortage of grazing area was mentioned by 88% and 63% of the respondents as a major constraint, respectively. The first priority disease mentioned by 100% of the respondents in tsetse challenged area and by 95% of the respondents in both STEP and community controlled areas was trypanosomosis. The average number of cattle herd size in tsetse challenged area (9.79 heads) was higher than the comparable number of cattle herd size in the STEP tsetse controlled (7.02 heads) and in the community tsetse controlled (7.45heads) areas (p<0.001). The number of non-pregnant dry cows (p<0.05%), bulls (p<0.0%) and oxen (p<0.001) were significantly higher in tsetse challenged areas than the other two study areas. The results of cattle herd dynamics study showed that both rates of addition to (p<0.01) and disposal from the herd (p<0.001) were significantly higher in tsetse challenged area than the other two study areas. Cows in STEP and community controlled areas were able to give 26-27, 25-29 and 17-21% more daily milk yield at
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the beginning, middle and end of lactation, respectively, than those in tsetse challenged areas. In addition, cows in STEP and community controlled areas had lactation length was longer by 1.2-1.35 months, age at first calving shorter by 5.1-5.3 months and calving interval shorter by 3.2 -4.1 months than cows in tsetse challenged area, respectively. The results of follow up study indicated that daily milk yield was consistently higher for STEP controlled areas than the other two study areas where their values were overlapping at some points in the lactation period. The total number of cattle died in one year time in tsetse challenged area was about 9.18 and 7.29 times higher than the value for STEP and community controlled areas, respectively (p<0.001). It can be concluded that tsetse control measures improve the cattle herd performances and encouraged more people to be engaged into crop cultivation.
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cattle, herd composition, herd dynamics, Ethiopia, milk yield, mortality, reproductive performance