Improved Forage as Supplemental Feed Source and Its Utilization System in Yem Special Woreda of Central Ethiopia

This study was conducted to assess the improved forage production and Utilization. For this study, three kebeles were selected purposively based on their livestock potential and 160 households were selected from selected kebeles randomly. The major feed resource in the study area was crop residue and pasture land grazing. The dominant forage species adopted in the area were Desho and elephant grass. Primary problem for livestock production was the shortage of feed resources. Majority (66%) of the households were in the active productive age (31-45) about 60% of household heads were literate (primary school and above). The average land cultivated per household in the study area was 0.25 hectares. Crop production was the principal source of cash income in the region, followed by cattle production in second place and sheep production in third. Almost all households in the study area had experience in cultivating improved forage, particularly elephant and desho grasses. The main challenges related to livestock production identified in the area were primarily diseases, ranked first, followed by feed shortages in second place, and water shortages in third, along with issues related to poor breed performance to some extent. Among the main feed sources identified, grazing, crop residues, and desho grass were ranked first, second, and third, respectively, in the study area.