Feed scarcity and livestock mortality in enset farming systems in the Bale highlands of southern Ethiopia

Livestock feed scarcity is often the major cause of livestock mortality during drought in the enset (Ensete ventricosum)-livestock mixed farming systems in the Kokosa district of the Bale highlands in south-eastern Ethiopia. Livestock mortality associated with feed scarcity was investigated in the livestock-enset, enset-livestock and enset-livestock-cereals production systems of the Ararso, Jafaro and Bokore subdistricts of Kokosa respectively, using farmers' perceptions during a drought year in 1998, an average rainfall year in 1999 and a wet year in 2000. Livestock mortality was variable between years and between farming systems. Greater livestock mortality occurred during the drought than in an average or wet year. Generally, mortality was greater in the livestock-enset and least in the enset-cereals-livestock production system. Among livestock, cattle experienced greater mortality than small ruminants and equines, and the greatest mortality was amongst the mature cows, followed by calves (<2 years old) and least among yearlings (2-4 years old) and oxen. Livestock mortality was associated with shortages of feed - often related to shrinkage of communal grazing lands and inadequate supplementary feeding. Feed supplementation by farmers, when used, improved livestock survival. The capacity to provide feed supplementation depended on herd size as well as the size of the semi-private range enclosures (kalo), while supplementation with enset by-products was less effective. Purchase of feed from other farmers and cereal crop residues were important means of rescue. In the future, extension services should promote improved feed management through feed conservation and greater integration of livestock and cropping systems.