Analysis of Livestock Production Systems at the Subdistrict Level. Case of Boboyo in Far- North Cameroon

Abstract

The authors applied a method to obtain reliable data on herd size and production techniques to be used as objectively verifiable indicators at the start of development projects. This method combined spatial data with a retrospective single visit survey. The study also allowed refinement of the data on human populations and analysis of carrying capacity. In an area of 150 km2 the subdistrict thus comprised 8300 inhabitants distributed in 1658 compounds, of which 87% harbored animals. The carrying capacity was 23.6 TLU/km2. There were on average 2.47 TLUs per compound. Sedentary farmers kept 2334 cattle, but this cattle density greatly increased temporarily every year when the transhumant herds were attracted by the grassland of the subdistrict. The other species mostly represented in the compounds of sedentary farmers were goats, poultry and pigs. The livestock numbers did not seem to have changed over these last years. The shortage of reliable data on animal production systems in this livestock area of Cameroon could be mitigated by applying the present method on a number of subdistricts typifying the various production systems.

Keywords

• Elevage
• Agriculteur
• Transhumance
• Ressource alimentaire pour animaux
• Collecte de données
• Méthode
• Densité de population
• Cameroun