305
mented with boiled maize and haricot bean, and household wastes such as atella (a
by-product of home brewed or distilled beverages) and coffee residues. Similarly,
the fattening practice in East and West Hararge zones of Oromiya Regional State is
based on thinning and leaf stripping of maize and sorghum, grasses, and weeds from
croplands and other agricultural by-products such as sweet potato vines. Backyard
fattening in Arsi Negelle area is based on areqe atella (a residue resulting from
home distilling of alcoholic liquor, areqe) and wheat straw supplemented with a
small amount of wheat bran and linseed cake or any other oilseed cake. Similar
small-scale backyard fattening of one or two animals is practiced in different parts
of the country using different crop residues and/or cut grass with occasional supplementation with different agricultural and agroindustrial by-products (Tolera 2008).
4 Source of Animals for Meat and Live Animal Export
According to the traditional classification of livestock production systems, there are
two distinct agroecologies and livestock production systems. The highland areas,
whose altitude is over 1500 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l), cover 40% of the total
area of the country (1.2 million km
2
) and host about 60% of the total livestock population. On the other hand, lowland areas whose altitude is below 1500 m.a.s.l are
covering 60% of the land mass of the country. Though the exact number is not
known because of various reasons, it is indicated in Jabbar et al. (2007) that pastoral
and agropastoral areas own 60% of the goats, 40% of sheep, 20% of cattle, and
100% of the camel population of the country. According to Ayele et al. (2003), cattle
and sheep are also the major livestock in highland areas, whereas camels and goats
are the prominent domestic animals in the pastoral lowlands below 1500 meter
above sea level. The major pastoral lowland areas are located in four regional states:
Somali (44 districts), Oromia (34 districts), Afar (29 districts), and SNNP (6 districts). These are the major sources of livestock for export market.
The peculiar nature of livestock marketing in Ethiopia is the source of animals.
Though there is a huge resource in the highlands, the export quality animals are
obtained from the pastoral lowlands. The feedlots and export abattoirs exclusively buy
animals from lowlands. The rate of weight gain of livestock in feedlots and meat color
of shoats are the major reasons that exclude highland livestock from the export market
apart from the competition in the highland markets with domestic consumers.
However, lowlands are prone to recurrent drought, and production is not market oriented. Thus, animals destined for meat and live export are produced in a stratified
production system in which the breeding herd and the stocker animals are raised on
rangelands in the pastoral and agropastoral areas. On the other hand, the final feeding
and conditioning of slaughter and export animals is carried out in the central highlands
where there is a better access to agroindustrial by-products and concentrate mixtures.
Over 90% of the animals conditioned in feedlots, and those destined for meat and
live animal export are sourced from the pastoral areas. In the pastoral areas, the
livestock largely depends on rangelands consisting of native vegetation (grasses,
Stratified Livestock Production and Live Animal and Meat Export from Ethiopia…
mented with boiled maize and haricot bean, and household wastes such as atella (a
by-product of home brewed or distilled beverages) and coffee residues. Similarly,
the fattening practice in East and West Hararge zones of Oromiya Regional State is
based on thinning and leaf stripping of maize and sorghum, grasses, and weeds from
croplands and other agricultural by-products such as sweet potato vines. Backyard
fattening in Arsi Negelle area is based on areqe atella (a residue resulting from
home distilling of alcoholic liquor, areqe) and wheat straw supplemented with a
small amount of wheat bran and linseed cake or any other oilseed cake. Similar
small-scale backyard fattening of one or two animals is practiced in different parts
of the country using different crop residues and/or cut grass with occasional supplementation with different agricultural and agroindustrial by-products (Tolera 2008).
4 Source of Animals for Meat and Live Animal Export
According to the traditional classification of livestock production systems, there are
two distinct agroecologies and livestock production systems. The highland areas,
whose altitude is over 1500 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l), cover 40% of the total
area of the country (1.2 million km
2
) and host about 60% of the total livestock population. On the other hand, lowland areas whose altitude is below 1500 m.a.s.l are
covering 60% of the land mass of the country. Though the exact number is not
known because of various reasons, it is indicated in Jabbar et al. (2007) that pastoral
and agropastoral areas own 60% of the goats, 40% of sheep, 20% of cattle, and
100% of the camel population of the country. According to Ayele et al. (2003), cattle
and sheep are also the major livestock in highland areas, whereas camels and goats
are the prominent domestic animals in the pastoral lowlands below 1500 meter
above sea level. The major pastoral lowland areas are located in four regional states:
Somali (44 districts), Oromia (34 districts), Afar (29 districts), and SNNP (6 districts). These are the major sources of livestock for export market.
The peculiar nature of livestock marketing in Ethiopia is the source of animals.
Though there is a huge resource in the highlands, the export quality animals are
obtained from the pastoral lowlands. The feedlots and export abattoirs exclusively buy
animals from lowlands. The rate of weight gain of livestock in feedlots and meat color
of shoats are the major reasons that exclude highland livestock from the export market
apart from the competition in the highland markets with domestic consumers.
However, lowlands are prone to recurrent drought, and production is not market oriented. Thus, animals destined for meat and live export are produced in a stratified
production system in which the breeding herd and the stocker animals are raised on
rangelands in the pastoral and agropastoral areas. On the other hand, the final feeding
and conditioning of slaughter and export animals is carried out in the central highlands
where there is a better access to agroindustrial by-products and concentrate mixtures.
Over 90% of the animals conditioned in feedlots, and those destined for meat and
live animal export are sourced from the pastoral areas. In the pastoral areas, the
livestock largely depends on rangelands consisting of native vegetation (grasses,
Stratified Livestock Production and Live Animal and Meat Export from Ethiopia…