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

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and fruit) and in forests. The more progressive and richer farmers, with access to resources and credit, areassociated with semi-intensive and intensive production systems based on dairying and the fattening of beefcattle, pigs and poultry. Crop–animal interactions occur. Buffaloes provide power for land preparation;buffaloes and cattle supply manure; crop residues (mainly rice straw) are consumed by large ruminants; andlarge ruminants can provide entry-points for the introduction of improved pastures in certain situations thatwill contribute to erosion control and an improvement in soil fertility. In semi-intensive and intensive systems,animals are fed on better-quality roughages and concentrates. Crops associated with these more intensivesystems include rice, maize, soyabean, sugar-cane and cassava. Dairy cattle production systems, involvingthe use of cultivated forages such as Napier grass and Guinea grass, and purchased concentrates, are increasingin importance. The initiation of the Thai Research Fund, with special emphasis on dairying, will furtherpromote the benefits of dairying to farmers, as well as increasing output to meet an expanding domesticmarket for milk. Goats and sheep are mainly found in the south of Thailand in subsistence systems, wherethey are raised as a secondary enterprise to crop production.Feed resourcesBoth scientists and farmers are in agreement that the availability of feed resources, particularly in the dryseason, is the prime technical constraint. There are also problems of feed utilisation and the integration ofdifferent feed resources into diets. Most feed for large ruminants comes from extensive native grasslands andvegetation growing on the roadsides, on wasteland and in fallows. However, for the first time in the ASEANsub-region, sizeable areas of improved pastures were observed on the farms. The main species sown areBrachiaria ruziziensis and B. decumbens, which are stall-fed or grazed by tethered animals. The stands werevery nitrogen-deficient as no artificial fertiliser is applied and were, therefore, not very productive.Furthermore, these grasses are not ideal for cutting. Other more productive and suitable species could begrown in the region. Stands of stylo were observed on some of the farms and on roadsides, a relic of earlierAustralian forage projects. Near the city of Surin, legumes were observed growing on the bunds around ricefields, but they did not appear to be utilised either as animal feed or green-manure. Rice straw is usedextensively and is also sold for animal feed. Concentrates are fed to dairy cattle, but farmers complain of theexpense. It is likely that, for many reasons, roughage intake is limited (some farmers cut-and-carry from adistance of three kilometres) and concentrates are being fed in excess to compensate for this.Amongst the four ASEAN countries visited, it is in Thailand that small farmers were found to be engagedmost actively in trading rice straw for feed, and manure from cattle and buffaloes for fertiliser. Input–outputprice ratios appear to favour the use of animal manure as fertiliser.The problems associated with feed resources in north-east Thailand present opportunities for research.The potential for integrating animals with perennial tree crops in the south has been referred to earlier. Thereare extensive areas of native pastures that could be improved with perennial legumes already identified fromprevious Australian forage projects; more productive and suitable cut-and-carry grasses could be established;annual legumes could be inter-cropped or relay-cropped with rice; crop residues and AIBP could be moreefficiently utilised from a range of crops (maize, cassava, kenaf and sugar-cane); and multipurpose trees couldbe established on bunds around rice fields, on wasteland and around the homesteads. Some work has alreadybeen undertaken with L. leucocephala and Sesbania spp, but this work did not have an animal focus. Theintegration of these various feed options into diets for ruminants is also a researchable issue. There is anacceptance of improved pastures by farmers in north-east Thailand that should be exploited.Animal health and diseasesAnimal diseases recorded in Thailand are listed by Campbell (1992). The most important animal healthproblems for smallholders are foot-and-mouth disease and haemorrhagic septicaemia in large ruminants;internal parasites in buffaloes; and Newcastle disease in poultry. The incidence of foot-and-mouth diseasecan vary, but in some villages the problem occurs annually. Foot-and-mouth disease is more common in thewet season and can last for up to four weeks. However, many smallholders in the north of Thailand do notappear to perceive foot-and-mouth disease as a major animal health problem. Vaccination of animals variesand failure to vaccinate may be associated with difficulties in mustering animals and the fear of side effects
such as abortion. Vaccination cover will need to be raised in the area if foot-and-mouth disease is to becontrolled effectively. Indigenous breeds are resistant to diseases, e.g. yellow cattle to tick-borne diseases,Siamese long-tailed sheep to internal parasites, and village chicken to Newcastle disease.Socio-economic aspectsTwo farming-systems research projects, supported by the IDRC and the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID), were undertaken in the late 1980s. However, only the IDRC projectwhich ran from 1984–1987 generated some economic data. The project (University of Khon Kaen 1987)showed that the inclusion of large ruminants into upland cropping systems increased average farm incomefrom US$ 518 in 1983 to US$ 715 in 1986. Amongst the four ASEAN countries visited, the economy ofThailand has enjoyed the fastest rate of growth over the last 10 years and many of the developments thatoccurred have affected smallholders on mixed farms. Some of these will now be discussed briefly.MechanisationThere is an increasing trend in mechanisation of farm production activities, particularly in the irrigated riceareas of the central region, that has significantly decreased the demand for buffaloes for draft power. At thenational level, the number of small tractors increased by 48% between 1987 and 1990. In the same period,the population of buffaloes decreased by 15%. However, with mechanisation there has been an increase inaccidents, ill-health and problems of maintenance of the machines, and some farmers have returned to usingbuffaloes. Due to the uncertainty of rainfall and the scarcity of rain during the wet season, farmers are slowlyshifting to more speedy means of tillage, which is possible only through mechanisation. Soft credit termshave also fuelled the demand for small tractors. In north-east Thailand, the population of buffaloes hasremained relatively constant during the last 10 years despite a nation-wide decline in numbers. It is anticipatedthat, in the region, buffaloes will continue to contribute significantly to the draft power needs of small farmers.Opportunities for using buffaloes for meat production should encourage farmers to increase their numbers.Labour shortagesThere is a rapid rate of rural–urban migration amongst the younger members of rural households to work innewly established manufacturing and service industries and on construction projects. The rapid rate of growthin the non-agricultural sector has created good job opportunities in many parts of the country. Mostcommonly, only the older members of the household remain on the farm. Accordingly, the role of women infarm operations has become even more significant, and as many as 50% of women are involved in the rearingof animals. Increased mechanisation and labour shortages in some areas may change the species balance andmethods of animal production in future.Increasing land valuesLand rents are increasing rapidly due to the demand for land for non-agricultural uses. Community grazingareas are declining, especially near the urban centres, and the availability of feed resources is increasinglythe major constraint to production for smallholders. Alternative feed resources and feeding systems,consistent with the resource endowments of farmers, need to be developed.Illegal imports of large ruminantsThere is a constant and illegal influx of cattle and buffaloes from the neighbouring countries, the Lao PDRand Myanmar. Road infrastructure is relatively good, compared to the Philippines and Indonesia, makinginter-regional movement of agricultural commodities (including live animals) relatively efficient. Althoughdata on prices are not available, the movement of animals across the borders is an indication of the lowerprices in the countries of origin. This inevitably creates a disincentive amongst local farmers to raise theirown animals.Policy emphasis on dairy productionAmongst the animals raised by smallholders, dairy cattle have received the best support. Pricing policies andother support services (e.g. credit and extension) are provided most liberally to dairy producers. Currently, the
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Affiliation of Authors:Dr C. Devend
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6.Strategyfor researchJustification
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AcknowledgementsThe International L
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esearch opportunities appropriate t
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Table 1.Animal populations and meat
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Introduction2. Characterisation and
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Figure 2. Sub-humid tropics and sub
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Table 3.Human and animal population
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Table 5. Rice-growing environments
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Multiple upland annual crop systems
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Table 6. Continued.Country Importan
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It should be noted that, compared w
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Table 8.CountryCambodiaChinaIndones
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of non-renewable fossil fuels and t
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Overview of researchThere was a sur
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• Identification of alternative c
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Various animal production systems t
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Presently, much of the vegetable pr
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Table 10. Summary of the main socio
Page 41 and 42: Table 11. Institutions and organisa
Page 43 and 44: 3. In the ASEAN sub-region, inadequ
Page 45 and 46: Table 12. Continued.SituationsPract
Page 47 and 48: 6. Strategy for researchJustificati
Page 49 and 50: Table 13. Priorities for research a
Page 51 and 52: VietnamResearch capacity in NARS is
Page 53 and 54: CRIFC (Central Research Institute f
Page 55 and 56: IAS. 1995. Proceedings of the Works
Page 57 and 58: Systems of sub-Saharan Africa. Volu
Page 59 and 60: or waterlogged in the wet season an
Page 61 and 62: Table A1. Important diseases of ani
Page 63 and 64: • Increased cropping intensities,
Page 65 and 66: the animal output came from pigs al
Page 67 and 68: 18-21° North, with an average rain
Page 69 and 70: In the Nusa Tenggara islands, signi
Page 71 and 72: Women work 11.5 h/day on average co
Page 73 and 74: Various Australian forage projects
Page 75 and 76: village production systems; to stud
Page 77 and 78: The availability of feed in rubber
Page 79 and 80: of the Ayeyarwady and Sittang river
Page 81 and 82: Constraints and opportunitiesInadeq
Page 83 and 84: gaining in importance, and signific
Page 85 and 86: Table A3. Characterisation of crop-
Page 87 and 88: Table A4. Interventions in crop-ani
Page 89 and 90: Table A4. Continued.Project TitleGo
Page 91: otations are practised, and there a
Page 95 and 96: large areas of forests (3.4 million
Page 97 and 98: Table A6. Some animal diseases repo
Page 99 and 100: Appendix IIItineraryThe Philippines
Page 101 and 102: 26 November 1996 am Visit to small
Page 103 and 104: Appendix IIIList of persons metPhil
Page 105 and 106: Mr Chhiv Nan, Acting Director, Depa
Page 107 and 108: Dr U Maung Ngint, Managing Director
Page 109: List of acronymsAARDACIARADBAEZAIBP
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