Livestock feed markets across seasons in periurban areas of Niger: seller and buyer profiles, feed price and quality

Abstract

Livestock productivity in West African Sahel is constrained by seasonal scarcity of feed and by its low quality in the dry season. Feed resources scarcity in the region has also been aggravated by the increase in livestock population, which has heightened the demand for feed, particularly in periurban areas. Livestock feed markets have thus sprung up in many cities and towns. To understand the dynamics of these markets, surveys were conducted in five of them in Maradi and five others in Niamey, Niger, in the early dry season (October-November 2019), late dry season (March-June 2020), and wet season (August-September 2020) with a semi-structured questionnaire. Results showed that diverse feed types were sold or bought, and mainly by adult male vendors or buyers, in both markets across seasons. The buyers gave as major reasons for purchasing livestock feed the insufficient household feed biomass, the poor-quality household feed, and the need for supplementary feeds to maintain and improve animal performance. Prices of livestock feeds at both markets varied significantly with season, market location and feed type. In both sites, prices of legume residues (cowpea hay, cowpea husk, groundnut haulm) were higher than the other feed types. Results further showed that there was no clear relationship between price and nutritional quality across seasons.

Livestock feed markets across agro-ecological zones of Burkina Faso: feed provenance, price and quality

“…Hay with higher value of RFV indicates better nutritional quality and vice versa. Lack of close relationships between price and quality, particularly for crop residues as reported in previous studies on livestock feed markets in West Africa (Wane et al, 2010;Ayantunde et al, 2014;Jarial et al, 2016;Ayantunde et al, 2022) suggest market failures, due to lack of information. In the case of feed, the key information relates to reasonable estimates of feed quality and in the absence of feed standards and their enforcement, buyers may have inadequate information on which to base price decision.…”

“…The increasing feed gap for livestock in the West African Sahel could be partly attributed to increase in livestock population (Ayantunde et al, 2022). To mitigate the problem of feed scarcity, particularly in the dry season, livestock keepers are increasingly turning to purchase of feeds from markets (Ayantunde et al, 2014).…”

“…To mitigate the problem of feed scarcity, particularly in the dry season, livestock keepers are increasingly turning to purchase of feeds from markets (Ayantunde et al, 2014). The increasing demand for feeds has contributed to the emergence of livestock feed markets in many peri-urban towns and cities in West African Sahel (Ayantunde et al, 2022). These feed markets are characterized by sale of crop residues, cereal bran, browses, bush hay and agro-industrial by-products.…”

“…These feed markets are characterized by sale of crop residues, cereal bran, browses, bush hay and agro-industrial by-products. The feed markets are often located close to livestock markets and sometimes along the roads, while agro-industrial by-products are sold at agro-dealer shops (Ayantunde et al, 2022).…”

“…The underlying hypothesis for this study is that feed price varied with agro-ecological zone (market location), season, feed type and provenance. Unlike previous studies on livestock feed market in the Sahel (Wane et al, 2010;Ayantunde et al, 2014;Jarial et al, 2016;Ayantunde et al, 2022) that were mainly conducted in peri-urban areas in one or two agro-ecological zone(s), this study covered all the agro-ecological zones in Burkina Faso and will therefore provide a national outlook of livestock feed price and quality across seasons and can inform policy on feed marketing in the country. In addition, the results of this study have implications beyond Burkina Faso as the agro-ecological gradients in Burkina Faso are typical of other West African Sahelian countries.…”