UTILIZING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE MARKET ACCESS AND LIVELIHOOD SECURITY AMONG PASTORALISTS IN EASTERN AFRICA:

A CASE FOR THE INDIGENOUS SHEEP IN KENYA

J.M.K. Ojango, E. P. Oyieng, J. Audho & A.M. Okeyo

ab

Results from a PRA and Baseline Survey presented to partners at Concern Worldwide, Nairobi, 26 March 2013

The Scenario in Pastoral areas

Climatic conditions in Eastern Africa are drastically changing• Increase in frequency and intensity of droughts• Spread of vector borne diseases• Migration of people and animals in search of food and water• High mortalities of animals• Dependency of populations: Need for food aid

Questions that need to be addressed

How can we reduce the vulnerability and increase the resilience of communities within pastoral areas?

How can the assets of pastoralists be secured?

How can animal productivity within the rangelands be increased?

Livestock insurance Payment for environmental services Change livelihoods

Manage and treat diseases Identify and promote adapted breeds

Design and institute sustainable breeding programs Re-seed the rangelands Improve management and use of water resources

Sheep in Pastoral Systems

Indigenous sheep breeds exist across the East African Countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Somalia & Uganda

Environment and distribution of Sheep in Eastern Africa

Spatial distribution of drylands in Eastern Africa Distribution of Sheep in Eastern Africa

Sheep in Pastoral Systems

Indigenous sheep breeds exist across the East African Countries: Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Somalia & Uganda

Well adapted to the environment, tolerate droughts

Have demonstrated genetic resistance to intestinal worm infections

Objective of the Pilot Project

Identify the key constraints to access to and optimal utilization of improved sheep genetics, and determine context specific intervention options for improved sheep production under pastoral systems of Eastern Africa

Targeted areas

Enkaroni- Good ground cover- Higher rainfall- Both Grazing and arable land - Shallow wells and boreholes

Iloodo-ariak- Wooded bush land- Rocky ground- Severe droughts- Sparse human population- Water is a challenge

Understanding the Environment

1. Site visits

Community Meetings: Participatory Rural Appraisal

PRA: Key Constraints in Sheep production

Problem/Constraint CausesWater High cost associated to water access

severe drought Limited water technology

Animal diseases Uncontrolled livestock movement Poor management of water points Limited pasture resources (social sharing systems)

Low returns (profits) Limited market access Poor animal breeds Poor animal husbandry

Inadequate feeds/fodder/pasture overgrazing Diminishing land size

Uncontrolled mating Poor management of animals Uncontrolled animal movement

PRA: Sheep breeds and their most important traits

Project Area Sheep breed Important traits Animal rank based on the overall traits (1=Best, 2=Average, 3=Poor)

Enkaroni Red Maasai Drought tolerant Good mothering ability Good milk production

2

Black Head Persian Good mothering ability Travel long distances in search

of water and grass3

Dorper Good milk production High lambing weight 1

Iloodo-ariak Red Maasai Disease resistance Good milk production Drought tolerant

2

Black Head Persian Good body fat Hardy

3

Dorper Good growth rate Good milk yields

1

BASELINE HOUSEHOLD SURVEY

Enkaroni: 163 HH, 9 villages

Iloodo-ariak: 134 HH, 6 villages

RESULTS: Livestock Species kept and herd sizes

Enkaroni (N = 163) Iloodo-ariak (N = 134)

Species Breed Mean ± SD Maximum herd size Mean ± SD Maximum herd size

CattleLocal 7.99 ± 14.65 90 24.54 ± 42.85 200

Cross/Exotic 8.20 ± 29.46 300 48.20 ± 114.68 700

GoatLocal 13.97 ± 32.21 330 43.13 ± 42.53 200

Cross/Exotic 6.77 ± 21.92 200 60.90 ± 54.59 250

SheepLocal 5.60 ± 11.61 93 28.77 ± 28.96 100

Cross/Exotic 17.75 ± 23.61 130 54.28 ± 70.53 402Poultry 2.26 ± 5.64 40 7.17 ± 5.69 22Donkey 3.24 ± 3.02 14 7.47 ± 8.39 46Rabbit 0.03 ± 0.39 5 8.50 ± 4.95 12

RESULTS: Sheep flock composition and structure

RM

DO

RPER

BHP

RRD

D

RRBB

BBD

D

0102030405060

Enkaroni

RAMEWELAMBS

Sheep breed

Num

ber o

f she

ep

RM

DO

RPER

BHP

RRD

D

RRBB

BBD

D

0102030405060

Iloodo-ariak

RAMEWELAMB

Sheep breedN

umbe

r of s

heep

Key: RM -Red Maasai, DD -Dorper, BHP - Blackhead Persian, RRDD - Red Maasai and Dorper cross, RRBB-Red Maasai and Blackhead Persian cross, BBDD - Blackhead Persian and Doper cross.

RESULTS: Sheep Management

• Pure breeding: Red Maasai, Cross-breeding: Dorper• Source of breeding rams:

Iloodo-ariak - own bred Enkaroni - traders

• Sheep entriesMost farmers buy ewes

RM DD

BHP

RRD

D

02468

101214161820

Enkaroni

RamsEwesLambs

Sheep Breeds

Num

ber

of fa

rmer

s

RM DD

BHP

RRD

D

RRBB

BBD

D

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

Iloodo-ariak

RamsEwesLambs

Sheep breeds

Num

ber

of fa

rmer

s

Key: RM -Red Maasai, DD -Dorper, BHP - Blackhead Persian, RRDD - Red Maasai and Dorper cross, RRBB-Red Maasai and Blackhead Persian cross, BBDD - Blackhead Persian and Doper cross

RESULTS: Sheep Entries

RESULTS: Sheep Management

• Pure breeding: Red Maasai, Cross-breeding: Dorper• Source of breeding rams:

Iloodo-ariak - own bred Enkaroni - traders

• Sheep entriesMost farmers buy ewes

• Sheep exits Sale of Live animals Sale of culled ewesSales mostly for household needs

RESULTS: Reasons for buying Sheep

Replacement28%

Improve mutton pro-

duction3%

Improve milk production

1%

Trading12%

Saving method

50%

Food security3%

Increase social prestige

3%

Enkaroni

Re-place-ment 57%

Improve-ment of mutton

production2%

For trade24%

Saving method

10%

Food security7%

Iloodo-ariak

RESULTS: Sheep Health

CCPP RV

F

PPR

LSD

Wor

ms/

Diar

rhoe

a

Anap

lasm

osis

Anth

rax

Blue

tong

ue ECF

Foot

and

mou

th

Foot

rot

Bloa

t

Absc

ess

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

EnkaroniIloodoariak

Sheep Disease

Num

ber o

f res

pond

ents

Key – CCPP - Contagious caprine pleuropneumonia, RVF – Rift Valley Fever, PPR – Peste des Petits Ruminants, LSD – Lumpy Skin Disease, ECF – East Coast Fever

RESULTS: Important attributes when buying sheep

Age

Sex

Conf

orm

ation

Body

wei

ght

Bree

dAg

eSe

xCo

nfor

mati

onBo

dy w

eigh

tBr

eed

Age

Sex

Conf

orm

ation

Body

wei

ght

Bree

dAg

eSe

xCo

nfor

mati

onBo

dy w

eigh

tBr

eed

Age

Sex

Conf

orm

ation

Body

wei

ght

Bree

d

Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5

01020304050607080

Enkaroni

Rank of attributes

Num

ber o

f res

pond

ents

RESULTS: Important attributes when buying sheep

Age

Sex

Conf

orm

ation

Body

wei

ght

Bree

dAg

eSe

xCo

nfor

mati

onBo

dy w

eigh

tBr

eed

Age

Sex

Conf

orm

ation

Body

wei

ght

Bree

dAg

eSe

xCo

nfor

mati

onBo

dy w

eigh

tBr

eed

Age

Sex

Conf

orm

ation

Body

wei

ght

Bree

d

Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4 Rank 5

0102030405060

Iloodo-ariak

Rank of attributes

Num

ber o

f res

pond

ents

RESULTS: Rank of animals for drought tolerance

Catt

le

Goa

t

Shee

p

Catt

le

Goa

t

Shee

p

Catt

le

Goa

t

Shee

p

Catt

le

Goa

t

Shee

p

Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3 Rank 4

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

EnkaroniIloodo-ariak

Rank of Animal species

Num

ber o

f res

pond

ents

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Community based Sheep breeding and management program for each area

• Infrastructure and ServicesAnimal health servicesWater availabilityEnvironmental management Pasture re-establishment Markets and marketing of sheep products

Basic building blocks for sustainable breeding programs

Suitable indigenous, exotic or crossbred Animal Genetic Resource for the environment and market

Infrastructure organisation and management for conducting the breeding programme to be sustainable under pastoral systems

Human resources and their development Financial and in kind resources Testing/evaluation scheme appropriate to be sustainable Communication of results to and feed-back from farmers

Agricultural policy and market

Define breedingobjectives

Components of a breeding

(conservation)programme

Purebreeding orcrossbreeding

Prediction of breeding values

Infrastructure incl. gov´t and farmer´s role

Monitoring genetic progress

Selection and mating

Reprod.methods

Phenotypic andgenetic analyses Livestock recording

and data processing

Define and characterizeavailable

populations

Environment and production system

Breeding programmes: the result of a systems approach with both short and long term benefits !

Expected Outcomes

Improved Sheep production and productivity from pastoral systems

Reduced loss of livestock in pastoral production systems resultant from changing climatic conditions

Better livelihoods resulting from increased resilience among pastoral livestock keepers

The presentation has a Creative Commons licence. You are free to re-use or distribute this work, provided credit is given to ILRI.

Thank you