Introducing the ‘Quick Feeds’ project - Fodder
and feed as a key opportunity to drive
sustainable intensification of crop livestock
systems in Ethiopia
Alan Duncan
Africa-RISING Quick Feed Project Inception Workshop, Addis
Ababa, 7-8 May 2012

Structure
Duration: May – Sept, 2012!
Lead implementer: ILRI
Collaboration with ICARDA, EIAR and
OARI

Various crops – grains
(or tubers) for
consumption, for
market, and residues
for animal feed, soil
fertility, construction,
fuel

Animals are a
key and integral
part of the
farming system
with multiple
roles

Animals...................Crops
Traction
Crop residues
Manure
Sales for inputs

Mixed systems
Interactions between crops and
livestock
Crop residues are substantial
component of livestock diets
Feeding of livestock needs to take
account of arable realities:
competition for land, free grazing in
off season etc.

Challenges to improved
feed supply
Food security
Land scarcity/tenure
Markets for livestock products
Free grazing
Traction a sink for feed

The way ahead
Things are changing
– Dwindling grazing resources forcing
other feed sources to be considered
– Urbanization leading to increased
demand for livestock products
– Improving infrastructure
– Are we about to see things moving?

Objective
The proposed project aims to
increase the capacity of value
chains to support more effective
use of feed by mixed farmers
(including supply and quality,
impacts on livestock production and
product appeal to markets).

Outputs On farm decision
making – to
 - Synthesis of key drivers of on-farm
feed production and the factors support
affecting crop-livestock farmers’ use of intervention
on-farm and off-farm feed resources.
 - Data base of price, quality and volume strategies and
data for key feeds associated with the scaling out
target value chains. Indicative
quantification of feed
purchase/exchange by users, and Value chain
determining factors
assessment – to
 - Targeted value chain assessment of
feed elements of livestock value chains; support market
including maps for feed-related interventions
elements of prominent livestock value
chains in Ethiopia and to gather
indicative data on flows, volumes,
prices of feeds and fodder associated Future feed
with those value chains.
 - Assessment of demand for and scenarios
availability of feed in the target sites.

Which tools?
Value chain analysis (VCA)
Feed assessment tool (FEAST)
Feed technology prioritization
(Techfit)
SLATE – for livelihood scoring