Browsing by Author "HUSSEIN ABDUKU WORKU"

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    FARMING SYSTEM AND TRADITIONAL GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT PRACTICES: THE CASE OF KOFELE DISTRICT, WESTERN ARSI ZONE, ETHIOPIA
    (Hawassa University College of Agriculture, 2017) HUSSEIN ABDUKU WORKU
    This study was conducted in Kofele district, Western Arsi Zone of the Oromia Regional State, Ethiopia, with the objective of characterizing the farming system and traditional grassland management practices. The district was stratified in to two by altitude (high altitude and medium altitude). Proportionally four rural kebeles (Germama, Gurmicho, Guchi and Bitacha) from high altitude, and two (Tullo and Abbosa) from medium altitude were purposively selected. From high altitude 93 households (HH) and 57 from medium altitude were selected. Semi-structured questioner, focus group discussions and key informant interviews were used to collect qualitative and quantitative data, which were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression model. The district is characterized as mixed crop-livestock farming system. Average land holding per HH was 2.24 hectares with 1.27 hectares allocated for crop cultivation and 0.92 hectares for natural pasture. The dominant crops grown in the study area were potato, barley, wheat and enset in their order of importance by farm HH. Twenty seven percent of the respondents are using small scale irrigation to cultivate crops on 0.06-0.25 hectare of land. The average livestock holding per HH was 6.15 Tropical Livestock Unit. Natural pasture (56.5%), crop residue (29%), enset byproducts (9.5%), agro-industrial byproducts (2.2%) improved forage (1.1%) and other (1.7%) are among feed resources available in the study area. Feed shortage, low productivity and expansion of epidemic diseases such as anthrax, black quarter and lumpy skin disease have been identified as livestock production constraints in the study area. Private enclosure, wet land drainage and fencing were found to be the traditional method of grassland management. Moreover, the traditional grassland management practice has become weak, contributing to the loss of productivity of grasslands. Land holding size, crop land and forest land (private forest plantation for commercial purpose) significantly influence the grazing land size (p<0.01). As conclusion appropriate land allocation, grassland management practices, like controlled grazing, cut and carry, proper straw conservation and empowering of traditional grassland management strategies should be considered.