Oromia Region: Environmental and

livestock characteristics

Ed Rege, ILRI25 February 2003

Introduction

Total area = 366,000 Sq. Km; 32% of the country

Geographical diversity: Land elevation from 500 to 4300m asl

Human population = 19 Million; 90% in the rural areas

Richest in livestock resources

Zones of Oromia Region

Borana

Arsi

West Hararge

East Hararge

Bale

North Shoa

East Shoa

West Shoa

Jimma

East Wellega

WestWellega

Illubabor

Main characteristics

Environmental characteristics

Agro-ecological Zone

Production system

Livestock characteristics

Livestock density

Types of species

Prevalence of diseases

Agro-ecological zone

Dega – Highland (2300-3200m asl)

Weina Dega – Midland (1500-2300m asl)

Kolla – Lowland (500-1500m asl)

Agro-ecological zone (cont.)

Kolla (Lowland)

Weina Dega (Midland)

Dega (Highland)

Agro-ecological zones

Source: Ethiopian Mapping Agency and Ministry of Agriculture 2000

Agro-ecological zone (cont.)

Kolla (Lowland)

Weina Dega (Midland)

Dega (Highland)

Percentages of selected households by agro-ecological zone

Livestock density

Low – 1 to 50 animals/km2

Medium – 51 to 100 animals/km2

High – 101 to 200 animals/km2

Very high – > 200 animals/km2

Livestock density (cont.)

Low = 1-50

Medium = 51-100

High = 101-200

Very high = >200

Livestock density (no/km²)

Livestock density (cont.)

Low = 1-50 animals/km2

Medium = 51-100 ‘’

High = 101-200 ‘’

Very high = >200 ‘’

Percentages of selected households by livestock density

Livestock density agro-ecological zone by

Very High LowMediumHighLivestock density

Dega Weina Dega Kolla

Productionsystem

Crop-livestock systems

Agro-Pastoralists systems

Pastoralists systems

Production system (cont.)

Crop- livestock systems Agro-pastoralist Pastoralist

Production system by zone

No. of Crop-livestock Zone households system Agro-pastoralist Pastoralist

Borana 199 41 30 29Bale 158 91 7 2Arsi 150 98 2 -East Shoa 170 73 27 -West Hararge 139 89 11 -East Hararge 140 81 11 7North Shoa 120 100 - -West Shoa 200 98 2 -East Wollega 130 99 1 -Jimma 140 100 - -Illubabor 129 100 - -West Wollega 199 11 < 1 -

Production systemPercentages of selected households by Zone and agro-ecological zone

Production system by agro-ecological zone

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

Dega Weina Dega Kolla

Agro-ecological zone

Per

cen

tag

es o

f h

ou

seh

old

s

Crop-livestock Agro-pastoralist Pastoralist

Livestock species

0

25

50

75

100

Cattle Sheep Chickens Goats Donkeys Horses Mules Camels Pigs

Percentages of households owning species of livestock

%

Livestock species by agro-ecological zone

Agro-ecological Zone (%)

Species Dega Weina Dega Kolla Overall

No. of households 1134 2493 1679 5306

Cattle 98 94 94 95

Sheep 77 57 53 60

Chickens 59 63 49 58

Goats 49 51 69 57

Donkeys 46 46 51 48

Horses 65 17 3 23

Mules 9 9 6 8

Camels < 1 < 1 16 5

Pigs < 1 < 1 < 1 < 1

Percentages of households owning species of livestock by agro-ecological zone

Livestock species by production system

Production system (%)

Species

Crop/livestock

system

Agro-

pastoralist

Pastoralist

Overall

No. of households 4897 442 200 5539

Cattle 95 98 100 95

Sheep 61 48 75 61

Chickens 62 44 4 59

Goats 53 76 91 56

Donkeys 45 60 40 46

Horses 26 9 2 23

Mules 8 5 11 8

Camels 2 22 52 5

Pigs < 1 - - < 1

Percentages of households owning species of livestock by production system

Prevalence of diseases of cattle

by agro-ecological zone

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Blackle

g

Anthr

axFM

D

Skin d

iseas

es

Paste

uroll

osis

Bloat

Tryps

Mas

titis

CBPP

Lung

dise

ases

Inte

rnal

para

sites

Other

dise

ases

Dega Weina Dega Kolla

%

Prevalence of diseases of cattle

by livestock density

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

Blackle

g

Anthr

axFM

D

Skin d

iseas

es

Paste

uroll

osis

Bloat

Tryps

Mas

titis

CBPP

Lung

dise

ases

Inte

rnal

para

sites

Other

dise

ases

Low Medium High Very high

%

Prevalence of diseases of cattle

by Zone Disease (%)

Zone

No. of

households

Blackleg

Anthrax

FMD

Skin

disease

Pasteurollosis

Bloat

Tryps

Mastitis

CBPP

Internal

parasites

Lung

diseases

Other

Borena 176 25 32 23 3 22 1 38 2 53 14 1 18

Bale 113 63a 25 17 - 4 5 42 6 1 11 15 5

Arsi 101 51 29 18 - - 16 - 1 - 12 2 4

East Shewa 159 76 80 34 - 45 1 - - - 6 - 4

West Harerge 136 38 - 6 71 6 66 1 2 - - 1 1

East Hararge 133 44 - 13 10 38 52 1 2 1 2 4 32

North Shewa 120 46 38 23 - 9 3 - 66 - 3 1 2

West Shewa 162 61 57 33 - 24 - 8 - - 1 1 7

East Wellega 109 82 65 37 - 10 5 - - - 10 - 2

Jimma 77 38 - 23 - 3 12 27 8 - 1 5 42

Illubabor 36 - - 42 6 33 - - 3 - 25 - -

West Wellega 188 16 20 5 94 20 - - - - 4 31 1

Overall 1510 46 32 21 19 19 13 10 7 6 6 6 9

Percentages of households reporting prevalences of diseases by Zone

Conclusions In general livestock density is higher in highland areas

than in midland and lowland areas

Crop-livestock systems are the predominant production system in the Region

Agro-pastoralist and pastoralist are more often found in lowland areas

Nearly all the selected households kept cattle

Most species are found in all agro-ecological zones. Camels are predominantly found in lowland areas and horses in highland areas

Conclusions (cont.) Cattle, sheep and donkeys occur in all production

systems. Goats and camels tend to occur more often

in pastoralist systems, and horses in crop-livestock

systems

Blackleg was reported to be the most prevalent

disease, followed by anthrax. Trypanosomosis was

more prevalent in lowland areas. Prevalence of

mastitis increased with livestock density