የኢትዮÉያ Ñu_­‹ U`ƒ“ U`T’ƒ TdÅÑ>Á “ ¾ÑuÁ eኬƒ ýaË¡ƒ
FORAGE INPUT SUPPLY APPROACEHS IN MARKET ORIENTED LIVESTOCK DEVELOPMENT
Forage development is one of the intervention focused to address the scarce livestock feed
and low livestock productivity in various pilot districts of the IPMS project in Ethiopia. The
IPMS project has undertaken various input supply approaches in response to location specific
forage demand (lack of forage sources, scarcity of forage and low adoption of forage and
under utilization and low awareness of forage resources), to gain project lesson and scale out
in forage development. Some of the forage input supply approaches to address the above
problem include establishing sources of private forage sites (Fig.1/2), demonstration and
dissemination at FTCs (Fig 2/3), communal grass land enrichment (Fig 4) and back yard
forage development (Fig 5).
FORAGE PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY FROM PRIVATE FARMERS (ALABA )
Fig- 1-Private forage supply site (Alaba ) Fig -2-Pennisetum Spp./”Desho”( Alaba )
FORAGE DEMONSTRATION AND DISSEMINATION AT FTCS (BURE )
Fig –3- Rhodess and Napier grass ( Bure FTCs) Fig –4- Rhodess and Napier grass field day ( Bure )
PASTURE LAND IMPROVEMENT (FOGERA) BACK-YARD FORAGE (BURE AND ALABA)
Fig –4- Removal of Hygrophilla spp, “Amikela” to improve palatability Fig-5- Rhodes grass (Bure) and Desho “Pennisetum Spp” ( Alaba)
CONCLUSION: In IPMS project sites forage development has shown progress in terms of
biomass produced (8 - 11 t/ha in Fogera), increase forage area (e.g 1000 ha Bure), forage at
farmers backyard (0.01- 0.5 ha) and number of farmers supplying forages (e.g 7 forage sites
in Alaba). Demonstration and dissemination of forages has progressed at faster rate because
of FTCs, forage field days and farmer to farmer forage exchange. The various forage input
supply approaches resulted in increased awareness, faster dissemination, increased adoption,
better utilization leading to increased livestock productivity while providing lessons in
forage development in Ethiopia.