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Current status of cattle production system in Nyagatare District-Rwanda

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Abstract

A study was conducted to characterize the cattle production systems in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province of Rwanda using pre-tested questionnaires, interviews with key informants as well as focus group discussions in a period of 2 months. The respondents were selected by multi-stage sampling at sector and cell levels. Based on the procedure of Krejcie and Morgan (Educational and Psychological Measurement 30:607–610, 1970) to determine the overall sample size, the result indicated that the majority (98.3%) of farms were privately owned by large families of five to seven members, and most farmers (53.9%) had only primary education. Most respondents (52.6%) were in the age bracket of 41–50 years and were mainly (48.3%) located within 3 km from trading centers. The farm size averaged 6.5 ± 0.8 ha and most farms (64.7%) were fenced except in Rukomo Sector (50%) where zero grazing prevailed. Natural pastures (savanna grass land) were the main feed resource; tethering (9%) and communal grazing had diminished. Napier grass was the main planted forage (93.2%), followed by Chloris guyana (3.1%) and Brachiara (1.2%). Leguminous forages were rarely (2.5%) reported. Vita-mineral and salt block supplements, hay, and crop residues were the predominant supplementary feed stuffs used except in Karangazi and Rwemiyaga Sectors where only vita-mineral block predominated. However, maize and rice brans were reported to be the main feed stuffs used in supplementary feeding of lactating cows. Most farmers (89.7%) reported shortage of water as most of the farmers trekked their cattle to the nearest valley dams (59.2%), rivers (21.1%), and a few 6% had water on farms. Indigenous cattle were predominant (67.03%) followed by cross-breeds (28.37%) and exotics (4.6%) while all farmers kept small ruminants. Natural breeding predominated (74.9%) and most farms (60.6%) had animal houses most of which were temporary (52.8%). The reported mean age at first calving (AFC) was highest (40.2 ± .33) for Ankole and the lowest (29.1 ± .50) months for exotic cattle. Calving interval was shorter in local breeds than 65.7 ± 3.0 in exotic. The mean dairy milk yield was lowest for Ankole cattle 2.4 ± .08 as compared to the exotics (10.42 ± .36) and their crosses (7.2 ± .34). The main challenges were diseases, shortage of water, feeds, and inadequate extension services. Same observation was reported by Okello (African Journal of Range and Forage Science 22(3), 2005) in Uganda.

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Acknowledgements

Special gratitude goes to Borlaug Higher Education for Agriculture Research and Development (BHEARD) for the invaluable financial support towards this study work supported by the United States Agency for International development, as a part of the Feed the Future initiative, under the CGIAR Fund, award number BFS-G-11-00002. In the same vein, the government of Rwanda is also recognized for its support through the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) of the University of Rwanda. I am further grateful to the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal and Bio-medical (COVAB) sciences of Makerere University (Uganda) for hosting the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, College of Agriculture Animal Sciences, Veterinary Medicine University, Nyagatare Campus, P.O. Box 57, Nyagatare, Rwanda

    Eugene Mazimpaka, Francis Mbuza, Tukei Michael, E. M. Bukenya & Okwee-Acai James

  2. Rwanda Management Institute, Kigali, Rwanda

    Eugene N. Gatari

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  1. Eugene Mazimpaka
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  2. Francis Mbuza
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Correspondence to Eugene Mazimpaka.

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Sectors and cells are the third and fourth level administrative subdivision, respectively, in Rwanda.

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Mazimpaka, E., Mbuza, F., Michael, T. et al. Current status of cattle production system in Nyagatare District-Rwanda. Trop Anim Health Prod 49, 1645–1656 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1372-y

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