FORAGE RESOURCE UTILIZATION AND MANAGEMENT FOR GREATER RUMINANT PRODUCTION: A REVIEW

^1*Kubkomawa H.I., and ²Kenneth-Chukwu O.M.

¹Department of Fisheries Technology, Federal Polytechnic, Mubi Adamawa State, Nigeria.

²Department of Biochemistry and Animal Health and Production, College of Veterinary Medicine, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding Author’s Email ✉/Tel ☎:: ✉-: kubkomawa@yahoo.com, +2347066996221

Accepted March 01, 2019

The objective of the paper was to review forage resource utilization and management for greater ruminant production in tropical Africa. There are about 32.42 and 39.41 million hectares of grazing and crop lands in Nigeria, respectively, which provide substantial amount of feed for the country’s livestock industry. Extensive parts of the grazing lands are composed of indigenous species, which are of low yield, quality and seasonal in growth. There is, therefore, the need to increase the production of the forage crops especially in Northern Nigeria to meet the ever increasing livestock population in the last few years. Over the years, therefore, many improved varieties of forage have been introduced by research institutes, Federal and State Governments with the aim of improving the natural pastures and providing more nutritious feed to the national herds. There is however, the need to develop or adopt strategies that will assist these introduced forage species to cope with and even overcome most of the factors that militate against high productivity. Such technologies should take into consideration the peculiarities of various agro-ecological zones in which these forage and fodder crops grow, in order to obtain useful results for dissemination to livestock producers. The technologies should put into consideration the recently heightened tensions between Nigeria's Fulani herdsmen and settled indigenous farmers as a result of the dwindling natural resources and land availability, greatly contributing to the on-going, escalating conflict in the country.

Key words: Forage, Management, Ruminant Animals, Tropical Africa.

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