Crossbreed Cattle: Assessment and Challenges of Breeding in Selected Districts of Tigray and Afar Regional States, Ethiopia

Abstract

The practice of animal husbandry has played an important role in enhancing sustainable development and improving food security of the community. However, the contribution of this sector towards the national as well as regional economy is very small. The focus of this research is to identify the main reasons why rural farmers do not own rear crossbreed cattle. The data obtained reveals that the majority of the rural communities dont have the right knowledge about the importance of crossbreed cattle in terms of their high yield. Some of the rural residents who are aware said they have limited financial access to afford crossbreed cattle. Besides, the respondents replied that the lack of appropriate feed and its high consumption is another reason, although the output gained from crossbreed cattle is quite high compared to the indigenous animals. Therefore, with the available livestock resource in Ethiopia it is recommended to increase the awareness of importance of crossbreed cattle, and government should also focus on creating favorable conditions to access to financial resources and feed for cattle. Solving the main bottlenecks will assure sustainable development and enable to meet the growing demand of the region. In addition to this, the income disparities between farmers and other self and government employed resident can be minimized.