Improvement of Livestock Production in Crop-Animal Systems in ...

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1. BackgroundIntroductionThe International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) has a global mandate to provide leadership in animalagriculture on behalf of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). Thedefinition of this global agenda involves the development of appropriate research programmes for livestockimprovement in priority agro-ecological zones (AEZs). This task was facilitated by a regional consultationprocess, and identification of the requirements for livestock research in the different regions of Asia, LatinAmerica and the Caribbean, West Asia and North Africa, and sub-Saharan Africa (Gardiner and Devendra1995). In order to provide a sharper focus on the research priorities and programmes, ILRI proposed a detailedassessment of the research and development needs that would lead to the formulation of proposals forlivestock improvement in South-East Asia (Devendra and Gardiner 1995). This would also help to establishlinkages with the national agricultural research systems (NARS), and identify the comparative advantagesof each to address priority researchable issues that are major constraints to livestock improvement incrop–animal systems. This assessment complements a broader study by ILRI and the Australian Centre forInternational Agricultural Research (ACIAR) on livestock trends and research options for animal agriculturein Asia.The settingThe South-East Asian region has achieved spectacular economic growth, with increases in gross domesticproduct (GDP) of 4–9% over the last few years. The region has seen political maturity in the ASEAN, andan improvement in political stability in the Mekong countries. Agriculture is a major contributor to total GDP,and 43–88% of the human population in the region depend on this sector for their livelihood. Livestock inthe individual countries contributes 6–20% to agricultural GDP, and play an important and variedsocio-economic role. In the Mekong countries and China there has been a shift from centrally planned toopen-market economies.About 95% of the domestic animals in South-East Asia are found on small resource-poor farms in rainfedareas, where they are associated with cropping. Table 1 shows the animal populations in South-East Asia.Significant numbers of ruminants and non-ruminants are kept in the region. Buffaloes, mainly of the swamptype, are found in the rice-growing areas and are used for draft purposes and meat production. Cattle aremainly dual-purpose, producing both meat and milk. Goats are more widespread than sheep throughout theregion. Amongst non-ruminants, the populations of chicken are the largest followed by those of ducks andpigs. Commercial production systems for non-ruminants are efficient, intensive operations that are associatedwith the successful transfer of developed-country technology. These systems rely on purchased feeds,improved breeds, disease control and good market opportunities. Ducks, however, remain to be developedmore intensively. Chicken have recorded the highest average annual growth rates in recent years. All otherspecies, with the exception of buffaloes, recorded annual growth rates of 2.5–4.3% (FAO 1994a).Rising human populations and income-driven changes in food habits will necessitate a two- to three-foldincrease in the supplies of meat, milk and eggs by the year 2010 (Table 1). In response to the increaseddemand, animal numbers and output are projected to grow at a rapid rate. This will create competition withcrop production for resources such as land and labour, given that farms are already very small. Intensification,specialisation and greater sustainability of animal production systems in a changing socio-economicenvironment are anticipated in the future.Agriculture has tended to emphasise crop production, notably rice, based on high inputs and intensivesystems, resulting in enormous benefits through the ‘Green Revolution’. The focus has been mainly onthe over-populated irrigated areas which are experiencing declining yields. To further increase foodproduction attention must now be given to the neglected rainfed lowland and upland AEZs, justifiedfurther by the relatively large human and animal populations in these areas. There are considerable
Table 1.Animal populations and meat production in South-East Asia.Species Number (10 6 ) Annual growth rate (%) Meat production (t) Annual growth rate (%)1996 2010 1988+91–2010 1996 2010 1988+91–2010Cattle and buffaloes 191 332 3.8 3.1 6.4 5.0Sheep and goats 255 371 2.5 1.3 2.0 3.0Pigs 463 727 3.0 31.3 57.2 4.1Poultry 4,195 7,415 3.9 5.4 17.3 1.0Total 43.1 82.9 4.5Source: Adapted from Alexandratos (1995).research and development opportunities, involving this animal base, to improve the livelihoods of verypoor rural people.This study presents the results of the assessment of crop–animal systems in rainfed AEZs, which haveenabled the prioritisation of research to improve livestock production. It is based on an extensive review ofthe literature, observations and discussions with scientists, extension workers, policy makers and farmers innine countries in the region, and the collation and analyses of results. The study has identified the majorconstraints, the research opportunities appropriate to ILRI, NARS and others, organisational structures innational institutions and research capacity. Together, the results provide an enhanced understanding of theresearch needs and resource requirements for programme development in South-East Asia.Objectives of the assessmentGeneral objectiveTo characterise the role of animals and identify priority research areas to enhance their contribution toenvironmentally sustainable production systems for the improved welfare of rural families in the rainfedlowlands and uplands of South-East Asia.Specific objectives• To document the contribution of animals to the smallholder farming systems in the rainfed lowland andupland areas of South-East Asia.• To identify research priorities, opportunities and disciplinary needs for improved production systemsfor ruminants and non-ruminants in target sub-regions.• To identify representative examples of the rainfed crop–animal production systems suitable for researchon livestock through the assessment of existing sites of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)and those of other organisations in the countries.• To identify government agencies, private sector institutions and non-government organisations (NGOs)and key potential partner institutions and individuals working in this subject area.• To assess existing research capacity and the comparative advantage for collaborative international andnational livestock research in the rainfed lowlands and uplands.Target countries and sitesThe study involved nine countries: Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, thePhilippines, Thailand and Vietnam. These countries encompass the variability that exists in thecrop–animal systems in the region. For convenience in this document, China (with a particular focus onSouth China) is included in the South-East Asia region, and the three sub-regions will be referred to asthe ASEAN (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand), the Mekong countries (Cambodia, Lao
Page 2 and 3: Affiliation of Authors:Dr C. Devend
Page 4 and 5: 6.Strategyfor researchJustification
Page 7 and 8: AcknowledgementsThe International L
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Page 13 and 14: Introduction2. Characterisation and
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Page 19 and 20: Table 5. Rice-growing environments
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Page 27 and 28: Table 8.CountryCambodiaChinaIndones
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Page 31 and 32: Overview of researchThere was a sur
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Page 51 and 52: VietnamResearch capacity in NARS is
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Table A1. Important diseases of ani
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• Increased cropping intensities,
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the animal output came from pigs al
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18-21° North, with an average rain
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In the Nusa Tenggara islands, signi
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Women work 11.5 h/day on average co
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Various Australian forage projects
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village production systems; to stud
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The availability of feed in rubber
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of the Ayeyarwady and Sittang river
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Constraints and opportunitiesInadeq
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gaining in importance, and signific
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Table A3. Characterisation of crop-
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Table A4. Interventions in crop-ani
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Table A4. Continued.Project TitleGo
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otations are practised, and there a
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such as abortion. Vaccination cover
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large areas of forests (3.4 million
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Table A6. Some animal diseases repo
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Appendix IIItineraryThe Philippines
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26 November 1996 am Visit to small
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Appendix IIIList of persons metPhil
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Mr Chhiv Nan, Acting Director, Depa
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Dr U Maung Ngint, Managing Director
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List of acronymsAARDACIARADBAEZAIBP
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