Better Animals, More Jobs

From
International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA)
Published on
13.09.23
Impact Area
Nutrition, health & food security

Dr. Udo Rudiger, ICARDA and Dr. Muluken Zeleke, ILRI-ICARDA with Ethiopian Trainees

In Ethiopia’s highlands, the human population is increasing along with higher food demand, resulting in agricultural production encroaching on land traditionally used as pasturelands. As a result, marginal lands ill-suited for cultivation and often with poor soil quality are now used for grazing, and livestock miss out on the necessary nutrients. Some farmers attempt to supplement grazing using mixed feed resources but do not know to consider animal requirements or economic factors like cost-benefit ratios.

In 2022, ICARDA collaborated with a Community of Practice (CoP) to train a group of 150 farmers, mainly youth and women, about the importance of livestock nutrition and the value of feed components. The training empowered the farmers to produce their own cost-efficient and nutritious feed concentrate using locally available resources and a tailored small-scale feed processing unit.

The next step was to evaluate the economic feasibility of feed processing as a business opportunity for the youths and women. ICARDA and the CoP developed business plans that compared the production costs, and nutritional value of a rich compound feed produced using local resources such as barley and sorghum grains, wheat bran, lentils, faba beans and peas screenings (broken grains), and oil cakes versus expensive imported concentrates. The new locally-made feed was competitive in both areas.

Following this positive evaluation, in 2023, ICARDA distributed three locally manufactured feed processing machines, which included a grinder, conveyor, and feed mixer, to sheep-fattening youth groups in Bassona Werena (North Shewa), Boka-shut (Bonga), and Serara (Doyogena) in Ethiopia. The machines meant these groups could now produce and sell compound feed concentrates to their members and neighboring farmers.

View original article