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fever in East Africa have also been associated with extreme weather events such as
droughts (ibid.). The impact of diseases is that they reduce animal productivity and
increase production costs as farmers are required to purchase vaccines and drugs to
prevent and control diseases and vectors. Mitigation and adaptation interventions to
minimise the negative impacts of livestock diseases and pests associated with climate change and weather variability are therefore required.
Overall, the impacts of climate change on livestock health, well-being, production and reproduction are well recognised worldwide, and hence, there is a need for
defining and implementing relevant and contextualised adaptation and mitigation
strategies (Bernabucci 2019).
6 Conclusion
The study results show that cattle production involves different categories of people,
including women and youth, implying that target-specific interventions are required.
The study has also revealed that cattle keepers feel that they are affected by climate
change and weather variability, as observed by incidences of erratic rainfall and
unreliable patterns of precipitation, which increase the frequency and intensity of
droughts, strong winds and floods. Perceived effects on cattle production include
water scarcity, increases in incidences of diseases and reduction in supply of fodder,
which is exacerbated by increasing wild bushfires. These effects also negatively
affect profitability in that farmers’ expenses are increased in the form of purchasing
drugs, vaccines and feed and hiring of extra labour to fetch water and feed. There is
therefore a need for the government and other relevant actors to help cattle farmers
to better understand the climate change and weather variability phenomena and
enhance their adaptive capacity building to deal with negative impacts of climate change.
7 Recommendations
There is a need for development of mitigation and adaptation measures to address
negative impacts of climate change on cattle production including, but not limited to:
(i) Enhancing the adaptive capacity of cattle keepers to better understand climate
change and weather variability, their causes and effects, and the adaptation
and mitigation measures that are required.
(ii) Encouraging farmers to start growing pasture and grasses, such as Rhodes
grass and multipurpose tree species, in wetlands and along boundaries of their
fields for those with limited land to address issues of feed scarcity.
(iii) Farmers should adopt and practise controlled and planned grazing, including
rotational grazing, to address issues of overgrazing and to preserve fodder
biodiversity.
Climate Change and Weather Variability Effects on Cattle Production: Perception…
fever in East Africa have also been associated with extreme weather events such as
droughts (ibid.). The impact of diseases is that they reduce animal productivity and
increase production costs as farmers are required to purchase vaccines and drugs to
prevent and control diseases and vectors. Mitigation and adaptation interventions to
minimise the negative impacts of livestock diseases and pests associated with climate change and weather variability are therefore required.
Overall, the impacts of climate change on livestock health, well-being, production and reproduction are well recognised worldwide, and hence, there is a need for
defining and implementing relevant and contextualised adaptation and mitigation
strategies (Bernabucci 2019).
6 Conclusion
The study results show that cattle production involves different categories of people,
including women and youth, implying that target-specific interventions are required.
The study has also revealed that cattle keepers feel that they are affected by climate
change and weather variability, as observed by incidences of erratic rainfall and
unreliable patterns of precipitation, which increase the frequency and intensity of
droughts, strong winds and floods. Perceived effects on cattle production include
water scarcity, increases in incidences of diseases and reduction in supply of fodder,
which is exacerbated by increasing wild bushfires. These effects also negatively
affect profitability in that farmers’ expenses are increased in the form of purchasing
drugs, vaccines and feed and hiring of extra labour to fetch water and feed. There is
therefore a need for the government and other relevant actors to help cattle farmers
to better understand the climate change and weather variability phenomena and
enhance their adaptive capacity building to deal with negative impacts of climate change.
7 Recommendations
There is a need for development of mitigation and adaptation measures to address
negative impacts of climate change on cattle production including, but not limited to:
(i) Enhancing the adaptive capacity of cattle keepers to better understand climate
change and weather variability, their causes and effects, and the adaptation
and mitigation measures that are required.
(ii) Encouraging farmers to start growing pasture and grasses, such as Rhodes
grass and multipurpose tree species, in wetlands and along boundaries of their
fields for those with limited land to address issues of feed scarcity.
(iii) Farmers should adopt and practise controlled and planned grazing, including
rotational grazing, to address issues of overgrazing and to preserve fodder
biodiversity.
Climate Change and Weather Variability Effects on Cattle Production: Perception…