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Gebremariam T, Belay S. Livestock nutrition and feed balance on smallholder farms in Tanqua-Abergelle district, northern Ethiopia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e22131. [PMID: 38053890 PMCID: PMC10694160 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study examined the livestock feed balance of smallholder farmers in Tanqua-Abergelle district of central Tigray, northern Ethiopia. Sixty livestock households were randomly selected from two farmer associations chosen systematically based on their livestock production potential. Data were collected on household characteristics, land holding, livestock ownership, feed inventory, feed supply and feed demand using household interviews (N = 60). Field feed samples were collected and representative samples analysed for dry matter content (DM), metabolizable energy (ME) and digestible crude protein (DCP). Annual DM, ME and DCP supply and demand were estimated using proper scientific procedures. Feed balance was quantified by comparing the feed demand with the supply. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics of SPSS statistical software. Crop residues, grazing lands, crop stubble and mixed hay were investigated as the major feed resources for livestock. On average, annual feed production was 3.96 tonnes DM, 30,138 MJ ME and 171 kg DCP at household level for 4.85 TLU. Crop residues contributed to 52 % of the total annual feed supply and grazing lands to 29 %. The feed requirement for maintenance of the livestock holding was estimated at 11.06 tonnes DM, 45,580 MJ ME and 253 kg DCP. The feed balance analysis estimated a 64 % deficiency of dry matter, 34 % of ME and 32 % of protein. Based on the present findings, it is clear that either the quantitative and qualitative feed supply of the livestock must be improved or the number of livestock kept in Tanqua-Abergelle district must be reduced in order to close the feed gap.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shumuye Belay
- Tigray Agricultural Research Institute, P.O.Box 492, Mekelle, Ethiopia
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Lassaletta L, Estellés F, Beusen AHW, Bouwman L, Calvet S, van Grinsven HJM, Doelman JC, Stehfest E, Uwizeye A, Westhoek H. Future global pig production systems according to the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways. Sci Total Environ 2019; 665:739-751. [PMID: 30790747 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Global pork production has increased fourfold over the last 50 years and is expected to continue growing during the next three decades. This may have considerable implications for feed use, land requirements, and nitrogen emissions. To analyze the development of the pig production sector at the scale of world regions, we developed the IMAGE-Pig model to describe changes in feed demand, feed conversion ratios (FCRs), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) and nitrogen excretion for backyard, intermediate and intensive systems during the past few decades as a basis to explore future scenarios. For each region and production system, total production, productive characteristics and dietary compositions were defined for the 1970-2005 period. The results show that due to the growing pork production total feed demand has increased by a factor of two (from 229 to 471Tg DM). This is despite the improvement of FCRs during the 1970-2005 period, which has reduced the feed use per kg of product. The increase of nitrogen use efficiency was slower than the improvement of FCRs due to increasing protein content in the feed rations. As a result, total N excretion increased by more than a factor of two in the 1970-2005 period (from 4.6 to 11.1 Tg N/year). For the period up to 2050, the Shared Socio-economic Pathways (SSPs) provide information on levels of human consumption, technical development and environmental awareness. The sustainability of pig production systems for the coming decades will be based not only on the expected efficiency improvements at the level of animal breeds, but also on four additional pillars: (i) use of alternative feed sources not competing with human food, (ii) reduction of the crude protein content in rations, (iii) the proper use of slurries as fertilizers through coupling of crop and livestock production and (iv) moderation of the human pork consumption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Lassaletta
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2500 GH The Hague, the Netherlands; Department of Earth Sciences-Geochemistry, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands; CEIGRAM/Department of Agricultural Production, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid 28040, Spain.
| | - Fernando Estellés
- Institute of Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | - Arthur H W Beusen
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2500 GH The Hague, the Netherlands; Department of Earth Sciences-Geochemistry, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Lex Bouwman
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2500 GH The Hague, the Netherlands; Department of Earth Sciences-Geochemistry, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, the Netherlands; Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266100, PR China.
| | - Salvador Calvet
- Institute of Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera S/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Jonathan C Doelman
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2500 GH The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Elke Stehfest
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2500 GH The Hague, the Netherlands
| | - Aimable Uwizeye
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Animal Production and Health Division, Viale delle Terme di Caracalla, Rome 00153, Italy; Animal Production Systems Group, Wageningen University & Research, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands; Teagasc - Crops, Environment and Land Use Programme, Johnstown Castle, Wexford, Ireland
| | - Henk Westhoek
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, 2500 GH The Hague, the Netherlands
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