A study was conducted on 37 randomly selected broiler poultry farmers in Rwanda to characterize the production system using pre-tested semi-structured questionnaires. The data were processed in SPSS and presented as means, percentages and ranges in tables and text. All respondents kept Cobb breed and young stock was mainly (73 %) imported from abroad. The majority of respondents were males (68 %) and most farmers had attended only primary level of education (40.5 %). Most of the farms were in the peri-urban (48.6 %) and urban (37.8 %) areas and hired male youth (62.2 %) mainly aged 19-35 years. The majority of respondents (68 %) kept less than 500 birds per batch. Recordkeeping was well practiced (91.9 %) and (62.6 %) had permanent poultry houses and all farmers used deep litter system. Purchased feedstuffs were reportedly (92 %) mixed at farm level as the main feed resource. Maize bran was reported (97.06 %) the main, basal feedstuff. The mortality rates of chick and growers were 12.3 and 9.4 %, respectively. The slaughter age was reportedly 60 days with an average dressing percentage of 75.67 %. The main challenges reported were scarcity and unaffordability of quality feeds (59.5 %), lack of market access (45 %) and lack of credit (21 %). The farmers had various views on improving broiler production in Rwanda ranging from establishing feed processing industries 62.2 %, improving marketing facilities 35.1 %, increasing availability of day-old chick and access credit 27 %, to intensification of farmer training 16.2 %.
A study was conducted to characterize the cattle production systems in Nyagatare District, Eastern Province of Rwanda using pre-tested questionnaires, interviews with key informants as well as focus group discussions in a period of 2 months. The respondents were selected by multi-stage sampling at sector and cell levels. Based on the procedure of Krejcie and Morgan (Educational and Psychological Measurement 30:607-610, 1970) to determine the overall sample size, the result indicated that the majority (98.3%) of farms were privately owned by large families of five to seven members, and most farmers (53.9%) had only primary education. Most respondents (52.6%) were in the age bracket of 41-50 years and were mainly (48.3%) located within 3 km from trading centers. The farm size averaged 6.5 ± 0.8 ha and most farms (64.7%) were fenced except in Rukomo Sector (50%) where zero grazing prevailed. Natural pastures (savanna grass land) were the main feed resource; tethering (9%) and communal grazing had diminished. Napier grass was the main planted forage (93.2%), followed by Chloris guyana (3.1%) and Brachiara (1.2%). Leguminous forages were rarely (2.5%) reported. Vita-mineral and salt block supplements, hay, and crop residues were the predominant supplementary feed stuffs used except in Karangazi and Rwemiyaga Sectors where only vita-mineral block predominated. However, maize and rice brans were reported to be the main feed stuffs used in supplementary feeding of lactating cows. Most farmers (89.7%) reported shortage of water as most of the farmers trekked their cattle to the nearest valley dams (59.2%), rivers (21.1%), and a few 6% had water on farms. Indigenous cattle were predominant (67.03%) followed by cross-breeds (28.37%) and exotics (4.6%) while all farmers kept small ruminants. Natural breeding predominated (74.9%) and most farms (60.6%) had animal houses most of which were temporary (52.8%). The reported mean age at first calving (AFC) was highest (40.2 ± .33) for Ankole and the lowest (29.1 ± .50) months for exotic cattle. Calving interval was shorter in local breeds than 65.7 ± 3.0 in exotic. The mean dairy milk yield was lowest for Ankole cattle 2.4 ± .08 as compared to the exotics (10.42 ± .36) and their crosses (7.2 ± .34). The main challenges were diseases, shortage of water, feeds, and inadequate extension services. Same observation was reported by Okello (African Journal of Range and Forage Science 22(3), 2005) in Uganda.
A study was conducted on 262 indigenous poultry farmers in Rwanda to assess the current status of low cost village poultry production. Majority of the respondents were male (59%) mainly (70.2%) located in urban and Per-urban areas. The majority (56.9%) had primary education and kept the dwarf type (53.5%) followed by the long legged type (26.9%). Stocking birds were mainly sourced from Neighbors (50.8%) and markets (30%). Free scavenging (67.4%) predominated. Disease management lagged as 41.4% farmers never treated birds and 37.2% used indigenous knowledge. Ectoparasitosis (35.2%) and Diarrhea (34.3%) were the main disease conditions cited. Only 15.7% of farmers reported disease outbreak to veterinarians. Clutch size ranged from 5 to 18 with mean of 13 ± 2 and hen maturity age averaged 7± 2.1 month. Farmers reported periodic high morbidity and mortality among poultry flocks with resultant low productivity and profitability. Predators (42%), diseases (23%), lack of credit (20%) were the main challenges stated.
Pig production systems in Rwanda are not well understood to enable effective exploitation of their potential for rural poverty alleviation and human nutrition. A study was therefore conducted to characterize the current status of pig production systems in Rwanda. Questionnaires were administered to 179 semi-intensive and intensive pig farmers randomly selected at sector level. Data were processed in statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 16. Most pig houses were semi-permanent (64.8%). Farm records were rarely (38%) kept. Reproduction was only by natural mating. European pig breeds and their crosses predominated. Farmers purchased feedstuffs for mixing at farm level with maize bran as the main basal feedstuff (64.4%). Disinfectants were rarely (23%) used in cleaning sties. The most disease condition commonly reported were piglet scours (25.3%), piglet anaemia (20.9%), swine respiratory disorders (18.8%), skin disorders (18.5%) and worm infestations (16.5%). Pigs were sold at all stages of maturity. Litter size averaged 7.2 ± 2.2 and pre-weaning mortality was 12.5%. Most farmers (66.8%) reported lack of affordable quality feeds followed by lack of breeding stock (43.5%), disease control (38.2%), marketing (37.4%) and availability of credit (26.9%) to be the main challenges. Predictive modelling shows that by use of small technologies and improved management interventions net profit/sow could be greatly increased by 203%.
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