Livestock Management

Developing adequate animal health services for protection of livestocks, with special emphasis on eradication of most prevalent diseases in the state Discover

Primary Problem

Livestock are important assets to the rural poor in developing countries but are faced with the major challenge of marked seasonal feed availability. A study was carried out to assess existing and potential feed resources and constraints to livestock production in Southern part of Mali. A feed assessment tool was used to collect necessary data. The assessment included focus group discussions and individual interviews. Results showed that seasonal shortage in feed supply, absence of livestock route and lack of watering points were the major constraints facing livestock production in the study areas. Pastures and green forage were the main feed for animal during the wet season while crop residues, fodder trees and shrubs were the main source of feed in the dry season. Results further showed that almost all types of crop residues were used for livestock feeding compared to other uses. The highest dry matter contents of ruminant total diet came from grazing.

Objective

Improvement of animal identification, performance recording and evaluation in farm animal production.

How it happens

Bring about genetic improvement of important livestock breeds through selective breeding and crossbreeding of low production non-descript stock, both for milk and for draught purposes. Steps are taken to conserve important indigenous breeds of the State.

  1. Develop adequate animal health services for protection of livestock, with special emphasis on eradication of most prevalent diseases in the State.
  2. Provide legal advice and assistance for land procedures and acquisition.
  3. Promote stall-feeding in order to reduce overgrazing and degradation of village grazing lands.
  4. Explore the marketing avenues for sale of livestock products like wool, meat, eggs and day old chicks, cheese and utilize by-products of slaughter waste as well as to find export-oriented programmes of the State livestock products.