Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of Management
In Subsaharan Africa, agronomists believed for a long time that the improvement of smallholding performance rested on agriculture and livestock integration. This farming model was based on draft animal power, forage production, breeding of dairy and meat cows, and restoration of manure. But this mod...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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CIRAD
2004-03-01
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| Series: | Revue d’Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://revues.cirad.fr/index.php/REMVT/article/view/9886 |
| _version_ | 1797721627996192768 |
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| author | P. Dugué A. L. Dongmo Ngoutsop |
| author_facet | P. Dugué A. L. Dongmo Ngoutsop |
| author_sort | P. Dugué |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Subsaharan Africa, agronomists believed for a long time that the improvement of smallholding performance rested on agriculture and livestock integration. This farming model was based on draft animal power, forage production, breeding of dairy and meat cows, and restoration of manure. But this model has not been adopted by farmers as expected. In the Senegalese basin of groundnut production, in order to adapt to climatic hazards, farmers prefer the use of draft horses, which enables them to perform more rapidly the work on soil and crops. In North-Cameroon, the extension of cultivated areas through draft cattle power has been preferred to yield increases and manure production. This strategy is still possible in areas with low to middle density populations, whereas in highly populated areas, the evolution of farming systems is similar to those observed in the Senegalese basin of groundnut production: development of draft donkey power and cattle fattening, difficulties in combining extensive animal husbandry with agricultural activities. However, at the scale of large regions, it will still be necessary to exploit lands unsuitable for cultivation through stock breeding. The access of transhumant animals to these pasture areas has to be preserved. Complementarities between periurban animal husbandry and neighboring agricultural zones could be used to develop commodity channels for forage supply and animal feed. At the village and small farm levels, the intensification of stock breeding is essential, but it will first be necessary to improve herd management, and above all forage production and rules of pasture management. Thus, draft animal power has to be mobilized to provide transport (manure, forage), increase incomes (dairy draft cows, fattening of end-of-career draft cows) and contribute to developing more productive farming systems including forage production. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:36:55Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-362de73cf1c04077be5ead2478c50c7b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0035-1865 1951-6711 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T09:36:55Z |
| publishDate | 2004-03-01 |
| publisher | CIRAD |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Revue d’Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux |
| spelling | doaj.art-362de73cf1c04077be5ead2478c50c7b2023-09-02T13:33:09ZengCIRADRevue d’Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux0035-18651951-67112004-03-01573-415716510.19182/remvt.98869886Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of ManagementP. Dugué0A. L. Dongmo Ngoutsop1Cirad, département Tera, TA 60/15, 73 rue Jean-François Breton, 34398 Montpellier Cedex 5, FranceIrad, station de Garoua, BP 415, Garoua, CamerounIn Subsaharan Africa, agronomists believed for a long time that the improvement of smallholding performance rested on agriculture and livestock integration. This farming model was based on draft animal power, forage production, breeding of dairy and meat cows, and restoration of manure. But this model has not been adopted by farmers as expected. In the Senegalese basin of groundnut production, in order to adapt to climatic hazards, farmers prefer the use of draft horses, which enables them to perform more rapidly the work on soil and crops. In North-Cameroon, the extension of cultivated areas through draft cattle power has been preferred to yield increases and manure production. This strategy is still possible in areas with low to middle density populations, whereas in highly populated areas, the evolution of farming systems is similar to those observed in the Senegalese basin of groundnut production: development of draft donkey power and cattle fattening, difficulties in combining extensive animal husbandry with agricultural activities. However, at the scale of large regions, it will still be necessary to exploit lands unsuitable for cultivation through stock breeding. The access of transhumant animals to these pasture areas has to be preserved. Complementarities between periurban animal husbandry and neighboring agricultural zones could be used to develop commodity channels for forage supply and animal feed. At the village and small farm levels, the intensification of stock breeding is essential, but it will first be necessary to improve herd management, and above all forage production and rules of pasture management. Thus, draft animal power has to be mobilized to provide transport (manure, forage), increase incomes (dairy draft cows, fattening of end-of-career draft cows) and contribute to developing more productive farming systems including forage production.http://revues.cirad.fr/index.php/REMVT/article/view/9886Polyculture élevageSystème d’exploitation agricoleCulture atteléeEnergie animaleGestion foncièreDéveloppement ruralDéveloppement régionalAfrique au sud du Sahara |
| spellingShingle | P. Dugué A. L. Dongmo Ngoutsop Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of Management Revue d’Elevage et de Médecine Vétérinaire des Pays Tropicaux Polyculture élevage Système d’exploitation agricole Culture attelée Energie animale Gestion foncière Développement rural Développement régional Afrique au sud du Sahara |
| title | Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of Management |
| title_full | Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of Management |
| title_fullStr | Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of Management |
| title_full_unstemmed | Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of Management |
| title_short | Draft Animal Power and Mixed Farming in the Savannahs of West and Central Africa. From a Technicist Model to a Reasoned Integration of Activities at Different Scales of Management |
| title_sort | draft animal power and mixed farming in the savannahs of west and central africa from a technicist model to a reasoned integration of activities at different scales of management |
| topic | Polyculture élevage Système d’exploitation agricole Culture attelée Energie animale Gestion foncière Développement rural Développement régional Afrique au sud du Sahara |
| url | http://revues.cirad.fr/index.php/REMVT/article/view/9886 |
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