The global increase in the demand for and production of animal-source foods (four-to five-fold increase between 1960 and 2015), which has been mostly concentrated in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), provides smallholder livestock producers with an opportunity for improving their livelihoods and food and nutrition security. However, across livestock production systems in many LMIC, limited supplies and high cost of good quality feed severely constrains exploitation of this opportunity. In many of such countries, feeds and feeding-related issues are often ranked as the primary constraint to livestock production and increased consumption of animal-source foods. Here we review the complex biophysical, socio-economic and technological challenges related to improving quality feed supply and the reasons for generally low adoption of apparently proven feed enhancement technologies. We describe also successful interventions and conclude by recommending strategies for improving quality feed supply in LMIC that account for and overcome the prevailing challenges.

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The future animal agriculture in the country suggests that the greatest opportunity for sustainable increases in agricultural productivity lie in agricultural intensification through the development of mixed crop-livestock farming systems. The linkage in mixed crop-livestock production systems through feed resources particularly legumes which fix N, and provide high quality feed, can enhance both the level and rate of nutrient cycling in the system, leading to increased soil fertility, improve animal nutrition, and increase the overall production and protect the environment, especially where land resource is limited. Forage legumes integration with cereals by intercropping generally results in higher fodder protein yield than that in cereals alone. Intercropped forage legumes have been reported to have significantly higher crude protein and lower fiber contents than their respective sole cereal residues and this could improve their voluntary intake and digestibility by livestock. There are various methods of integrating forage legumes into crop-livestock farming systems. The type of forage crops, food crops grown in the area, the soil type, the rainfall pattern and other social and economic factors determine the method of integration used for a specific farming system and locality. Forage legumes generally can be integrated into croplivestock production systems by growing the herbaceous species in natural pastures, on arable land, crop rotation with cereals, sequential cropping, intercropping/ under sowing and relay cropping. Generally, the role of forage legumes in the farming system requires studying economic importance as related to farmers benefit, animal performance and the management of natural resource in a multidisciplinary approach.

There is a distinct seasonality in the availability of feeds in the highlands of Ethiopia, reaching a peak and low levels towards the end of the rainy and dry season, respectively. Consequently, this trial was conducted to assess the yield performance and nutritive value of nine perennial grasses accessions from seven grass species under supplementary irrigation to produce feed year-round. The evaluated grasses species were two Urochloa (U. decumbens cv. ILRI-10871 and ILRI-13205), two Setaria (S. sphacelata cv. ILRI-143 and ILRI-6543), one Phalaris (Phalaris aquatica cv. Sirrosa), coloured Guinea (Panicum coloratum cv. Coloratum), Desho (Pennisetum glaucifolium cv. Kindu kosha), Napier (Pennisetum purpureum cv, ILRI-16791), and Rhodes (Chloris gayana cv. Massaba) variety. The experiment was carried out in a randomized complete block design. The chemical compositions of the grasses were scanned by, the near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Results indicated that the plant height, dry matter, and crude protein yield were significantly affected by year, species ( P < 0.001 ), and their interaction ( P < 0.05 ). Moreover, species were significantly influenced in vitro dry matter digestible yield, relative feed value, and nutrient content (DM, CP, NDF, ADF, ADL, and IVDMD). Napier grass had superior in dry matter, crude protein, and in vitro dry matter digestible yield than the other perennial grasses species tested together. Thus, among the tested grasses species, Napier grass showed outstanding potential as a forage plant followed by Phalaris and Desho grass under supplementary irrigation in the central highland of Ethiopia.

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