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Sumnary
Smallholder dairy on-farm research in Burundi
The research programme evaluates the
introduction of the improved Sahiwal-Ankole
cattle cross and feed production on-farm as
compared to a on-station. To assess the relative
success of the project different indices were set
which included liveweight of offspring, milk and .
manure production and production parameters
(herd miltiplication, milk production, fecundity
and mortality rates) were measured. All these
varations with the exception of mortality were
better on-farm than on-station. Concurrently,
several forage species were introduced on-farm
to improve animal nutrition and to eventually
establish the zero-grazing programme. The
adaptability of the introduced forage species and
their productivity was studied and finally, the
manure collected on-farm was used to fertillse
arable crops. A comparative analysis of the
impact of manure on crop production was made.
In addition a laboratory analysis was made on
milk processed by traditional technology.
The major benefits realised by the package
were increased supplies of milk for home
consumption, more income from sales of milk
and disposable animals and a significant
Improvement In crop production upon
application of farmyard manure,
Background country information
Burundi is a land-locked central African country,
located between Rwanda to the north, Zaire in
the west and Tanzania to the east. A small part
of the south-western part of the country is
bordered by Lake Tanganyika. The country
covers a land area of 27,834 km2 and is divided
into three ecozones determined by altitude: low
altitude (880 in), middle altitude (900-1500 in),
and high altitude (1500-2600 in). With a total of
5.3 million inhabitants, Burundi has the second
highest population density (207 people per kin
in Africa.
Burundi has a tropical climate that varies
according to altitude. The following are the
characteristics of the ecozones:
Low altitude: Surface area is 1875 kin 2 ;
temperature ranges from 21" to 23"C; the
rainy season is about five months long;, and
the rainfall average per annum is 900 mm.
J. B. Berahino
ISABU, Avenue de la Cath~lrale
BP 795 Bujumbura, Burundi
45
. Middle altitude:Has a surface area of 8511
km 2 ; the temperature ranges from 18' to
25'C; the rainy season lasts eight months,
totalling 1100 mm per annum.
• H'h altitude:Covers a land area of 15,511
km ; the temperature is 16 to 20C; and the
rainy season is nine months long with a total
precipitation of 1500 mm.
Rainfall is generally not scarce but poor soil
fertility due to overexploitation is a major
set-back. To overcome this problem, the
government initiated a policy to encourage
livestock production. The emphasis is meat and
milk as primary products and manure as a
by-product to improve soil productivity.
Currently supplies of both meat and milk are
inadequate for the country's needs and the
government policy is to increase their production.
Size of the livestock industry
The national livestock herd is estimated at
400,000 cattle, 1,100,000 goats and sheep
(Table 1), 90,000 pigs and 700,000 poultry.
The livestock industry contributes to the
national and rural household income. Animal
by-products such as manure are used toimprove
the fertility of crop land and milk is usually
churned on-farm into butter for sale or for home
consumption. Farmers also traditionally sell
young and old bulls to generate income.
Importation of cattle for breeding
purposes
The indigenous Ankole cattle are known to have
poor traits for production especially in milk and
therefore importation of cattle breeds has aimed
at improving the Ankole type. Sahiwals were
imported from Kenya and are the most
significant exotic breed in Burundi. They were
used to improve the indigenous breed (Ankole)
through crossbreeding. Importation and crossbreeding
has resulted in a national herd
1900
of about
exotics and their crosses (Table 2).
Crossing Sahiwal and Ankole and subsequent
evaluation of the productivity Gf Fi and F2 was
conducted at ISABU (Institut des sciences
agronomiques stations. The study du
concluded
Burundi) cattle research
that the Sahiwal
and Ankole crosses gave a mean yield of 900 kg
of milk in 305 days as compared to the Ankole
breed which yielded only 400 kg in 225 days