Biotechnologie, Agronomie, Société et Environnement (Jan 2009)
Facteurs socio-économiques affectant l'utilisation des sous-produits agro-industriels pour l'embouche bovine à contre-saison dans l'Adamaoua, Cameroun
Abstract
Socio-economic factors affecting the use of agro-industrial by-products for cattle fattening in the dry season in Adamawa, Cameroon. Cattle production is the major economic activity in the Adamawa. Feed deficiency that causes about 129 to 187 g weight loss per day is an important constraint during the dry season. A possible alternative to overcome this constraint is the use of agro-industrial by-products. However, the adoption and effective use of these potentials are still to be encouraged. This study, which objective was to find out the socio-economic factors that may affect the usage of these resources, permitted to show, through interviews and surveys, that more than 8,200 t of agro-industrial by-products (maize and wheat bran, soybean seed and maize seed cake) useable for cattle feeding were produced annually in Adamawa and that only 16 % of this production were used by livestock farmers. Among the factors affecting the effective use of these by-products, prices were the most determinant. The herds size and the number of sedentary animals had also shown a significant positive effect. On the other hand, livestock farming experience and the farmer’s age had instead shown a strong negative correlation with the use of by-products; same was the level of farmer’s education which showed positive correlation only with respect to cotton seed cake use. The distance from the livestock farming sites to the by-products production/distribution centre and/or difficult access to the sites had strong positive correlations with the by-products’ prices. The problem of supplies as a result of long distance or of difficult access to cattle production sites, the high and unstable prices of agro-industrial by-products and poor awareness of the different types of by-products produced in the Adamawa, were noted as major constraints for their use as cattle feed. Based on the above results, an effective extension system and well organized farmers groupings could improve the level of utilization of agro-industrial by-products for cattle feeding.
