Description
INTRODUCTION
It has been reflected time and again that livestock in Ethiopia is an important and integral
component of agriculture, which is the backbone of the economy. Not only does the sub-
sector provide the much-needed animal protein for the ever-growing human population,
but it also offers employment opportunities for millions of rural and urban dwellers
involved in some form of livestock production and marketing (Asnakew, 2005).
Considering goats in particular, they have a great role in the economy of farming
community of Ethiopia. Sale of goats and goat products (meat, skin and milk) by farming
communities is the major source of cash for purchase of clothes, grains and other
essential household commodities. In addition, goats are raised mostly to safeguard
against crop failure and unfavorable crop prices in intensive cropping areas. Goats
represent a more liquid form of capital than cattle and are readily tradable (MOA, 1985:
cited by Sendros, 1993). The country earns annually on average about US dollar 8
million from the export sales of live sheep and goats and of mutton and goat meat. These
export trades showed about 20 and 59 % annual growth rates, respectively (ILCA, 1991).
Despite the large size of the country’s goat population, the productivity per unit of animal
and the contribution of this sector to the national economy is relatively low. This may be
due to different factors such as poor nutrition, prevalence of diseases, lack of appropriate
breed and breeding strategies and poor understanding of the production system as a
whole. However, the indigenous goat breeds have relative advantage in their natural
habitat. According to Kiwuwa (1992), the broad genetic variability of African small
ruminant breeds enables them to survive under stressful environmental conditions,
including high disease incidence, poor nutrition, and high temperature. Environmental
pressure also maintains a wide range of genotypes, each adapted to a specific set of
circumstances.