Estimation of feed dry matter supply in relation to land use and livestock requirements in southwestern Ethiopia

Figures & data

Figure 1. Map of (a) Gamo Gofa and Dawuro zones in Ethiopia, (b) zones boundary in the direction.

Table 1. Land-cover area for actual and potential livestock feed supplies, on an annual basis, for the study peasant administration (PA)

PA	Pasturelands (ha)	Croplands (ha)	Owned land (ha)	Communal land (ha)
Gmra Qema	14.55	35.37	49.92
Losha	7.42	23.23	30.65
Myla	20.89	53.05	73.94	41.9
Guzza	11.43	38.2	49.63	69.6
Fishto	8.64	33.52	42.16	98.7
Grsse Zala	13.28	82.49	95.77	1.2
Qchem Kessi	9.56	56.2	65.76	481.1
Taracha Zura	3.83	21.43	25.26	47.2
Yallo Worbti	6.4	34.44	40.84	4
Alga	3.01	35.41	38.42	45.8
Ancover	1.68	33.51	35.19	11.5
Furra	0.4	9.4	9.8	33.5
Para Gossa	1.36	29.57	30.93	344.3
Total area %	6	27	33	67

Table 2. Available production and livestock required amount of feed dry matter (DM) (tonnes/year) in the study peasant administration (PA)

PA	DMpr*	DMcr	DMpo	DMca	DMcs	DMa	DMq	DMdiff
Gmra Qma	400	429	337	8866	0	866	594	272
Losha	146	207	32	385	0	385	407	−22
Myla	466	566	75	1107	204	1311	1151	160
Guzza	319	529	53	901	264	1165	1112	53
Fishto	178	354	107	639	477	1 116	863	253
Grse Zala	274	807	216	1298	6	1303	691	612
Qchem Kessi	155	639	196	990	4467	5457	1213	4244
Tarcha Zura	53	216	67	336	565	901	307	594
Yallo Worbti	79	277	105	462	1506	1967	1554	413
Alga	26	180	155	360	236	596	851	−255
Ancover	17	152	150	319	67	386	632	−246
Furra	4	48	31	83	179	262	250	12
Para Gossa	7	76	126	210	972	1182	824	358
Average, %	163 (12)	345 (27)	104 (8)	612 (47)	688 (53)	1300 (100)	805 (62)	496

*DM = dry matter (pr = natural pastureland; cr = cropland; po = privately owned; ca = communal area total; cs = communal share; a = production available; q = total livestock required; diff = difference between the total available and total required).

Table 3. Annual available and required amount of total digestible nutrient and digestible crude protein for ruminant livestock (tonnes/year) in the peasant administration (PA)

PA	DMuq*	TDNa§	TDNuq	TDNdiff	DCPa※	DCPuq	DCPdiff
Gmra Qema	576	379	259	120	31	34	−3
Losha	402	169	181	−12	14	21	−7
Myla	1134	577	510	67	47	55	−8
Guzza	1096	513	493	20	43	53	−10
Fishto	858	490	387	103	44	41	3
Gress Zala	690	566	310	256	45	41	4
Qchm Kessi	1207	2339	543	1796	179	51	128
Tarcha Zura	305	367	137	230	30	12	18
Yall Worbti	1551	827	698	129	63	59	4
Alga	849	260	382	−122	26	36	−10
Ancover	628	188	282	−94	16	30	−14
Furra	250	117	113	4	14	11	3
Para Gossa	823	533	370	163	66	35	31
Average	798	563	359	205	48	37	11

*DM = dry matter required for ruminant livestock.

§TDN = total digestible nutrients (a = available from biomass; uq = total requirement for ruminant livestock; diff = total difference between available and required).

※DCP = digestible crude protein (a = available production; uq = ruminant livestock required total; diff = total difference between available and required).

Table 4. Summary of opportunity windows, for each of the study peasant administrations (PA), by month, for hay-making, conserving hay and crop residues during feed surplus (++/+++), and use of a grazing option, utilisation of conserved hay and crop residues during feed scarcity (±/–)

PA	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Gmra Qema	+	+	+	++	++	-	-	-	+	+++	+++	++
Losha	+	-	-	-	-	++	-	-	-	+++	+++	+
Myla	-	-	-	++	++	++	-	-	+	+++	+++	++
Guzza	-	+	+	++	++	++	-	-	-	+++	+++	-
Fishto	++	-	-	-	++	++	-	-	+	+++	+++	++
Grss Zala	+	+	-	-	++	++	-	-	+	+++	+++	++
Qcheme Kessi	-	-	-	++	++	++	+	+	+++	+++	+++	+
Tarcha Zura	-	-	-	++	++	++	+	+	+++	+++	+++	+
Yallo Worbati	-	-	-	++	++	++	+	+++	+++	+++	+	-
Alga	–	–	–	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Ancover	–	–	–	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Furra	-	-	-	-	++	++	-	-	-	+	++	+
Para Gossa	+	+	+	++	++	++	-	-	-	-	-	-

Note: The symbols ++ and +++ indicate a feed surplus in the month from both natural pastureland and crop residues; the symbols +, - and – indicate feed scarcity in the month for livestock production in the peasant administration.