CHARACTERIZATION OF SHEEP PRODUCTION, FEEDING AND MARKETING SYSTEMS IN ARBA MINCH ZURIA WOREDA OF GAMO GOFA ZONE, SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study was carried to characterize sheep production, feeding and marketing systems as well as to identify constraints and opportunities of sheep production in Arba Minch Zuria Woreda of Gamo Gofa zone, southern Ethiopia. The woreda was selected based on its potential for sheep production. It was stratified in to three distinctive agro-ecologies, namely highland (HL), midland (ML) and lowland (LL). A total of 138 households were interviewed using structured questionnaire. Probability proportional to size sampling technique was followed to select respondents. A Focus group discussion composed of 12 households was conducted in each agro-ecology. Data were analyzed using statistical procedures for social science (SPSS) version 20. Statistical variations for categorical data were tested by means of cross tabs, with significant differences at P<0.05 while the descriptive statistics for the numerical data was subjected to one way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) using the general linear model procedure of SPSS. The survey revealed that the overall average, total land, crop land, and grazing land per households were 1.34, 0.903 and 0.228 hectares, respectively (P<0.05). The average sheep flock size holding per household was 10.03, 5.07 and 4.73 in HL, ML and LL, respectively. The overall purpose of sheep rearing across all AEZs was source of income, saving, meat production, sharing the risk and manure production which were ranked first to fifth in the given order. The major available feed was natural pasture and crop residues in wet and dry seasons. Feeding systems widely practiced in the all AEZs were tethering, stall feeding and free grazing system in dry and wet seasons. About 51.4 % of the respondents were grazing sheep with other livestock. About 62.8% and 100% of respondents had their own grazing land in HL and ML AEZs, respectively. The overall age at first lambing was 12.81±0.14 months lambing interval was 7.52±.08 months and litter size was 1.50±.08 lamb per sheep (P<0.05). A high lambing month was extended from April to May. Majority of respondents’ across the agro-ecologies said that the practice of selling sheep was at age of 6 months until1 year. Feed and grazing land shortage, diseases, and labor shortage were major constraints ranked first, second, third and fourth with an overall index value of 0.3, 0.26, 0.14 and 0.14 of sheep production, respectively. Opportunities of sheep production were immediate return 60.9%, 57.2% had low startup cost, and 55.8% got GO and NGO interventions. About 51.8% of respondents got a suitable market conditions that motivate them for sheep production in the area. Sheep in Arba Minch Zuria have XVIII appreciable reproductive performances and are coming important integral parts among livestock in this area. Introduction and use of best parties and alternative feed production technologies are, highly recommended. Further research is also recommended to identify and select the superior and economically important traits in sheep production within this eco types and quantitative aspects of marketing require providing complete marketing information.