Part I of this working paper classifies small ruminant sub-systems in the mixed crop livestock system in Ethiopia. In Part II, important determinants of small ruminant productivity and producers’ input use and marketing strategies were analysed across the six small ruminant sub-systems identified in Part I.
Classification of livestock production systems forms a useful framework for the spatial targeting of development interventions. Household and community level data collected from 497 communities and 2621 households were used to classify small ruminant sub-systems using principal components and cluster analyses.
Exploratory analysis indicated variation and a clear structuring in livestock species and small ruminant flock composition and flock size in the mixed crop-livestock system. The variations were related to agro-ecologies and cropping patterns. Cluster analysis identified six clusters which were designated as sub-systems in the mixed crop-livestock system. The sub-systems were named following the dominant small ruminant species (sheep versus goat) and the degree of intensity/extensiveness of small ruminant production. The sub-systems were spatially characterized and described in terms of producers input use and marketing practices. Small ruminant production in Ethiopia could be classified into two systems (mixed crop-livestock and agro/pastoral) with six sub-systems within the mixed crop-livestock system or into seven systems (the six sub-systems and pastoral/agro-pastoral system).
Gizaw, S., Hoekstra, D., Gebremedhin, B. and Tegegne, A. 2015. Classification of small ruminant production sub-systems in Ethiopia: Implications for designing development interventions. LIVES Working Paper 5. Nairobi, Kenya: ILRI.
LIVES-Ethiopia 