Farming in tsetse controlled areas OAU-IBAR eastern African regional programme..PDF

This document provides the details•for the Kenya component of the Kenya/Ugandaregional proposal entitled "Farming in tsetse controlled areas". The overall objective of the. Kenya project is to improve the wetfine of the people of the region through sustainablerural development and the project purpose is increased livestock productivity. Increasedlivestock productivity will . be achieved in integrated crop/livestock production systemswhich will increase food security. Improved animal health, management and nutrition, andthe gradual upgrading of the indigenous stock will result in an increase in livestockproducts.The programme will be implemented in Western Kenya in three districts borderingUganda, which have a history of human sleeping sickness. The project districts have fertilesoils and receive adequate rainfall and while over 95% of the land is used for agricultural:purposes, the majority of this is subsistence (inuring. Food production in the area can only'be improved through intensification of the crop/livestock production systems.Trypanosomiasis has been identified as the major constraint to livestock productivity in thedistricts; the disease prohibits the use of traction and the efficient production of meat,milk and manure and is a major obstacle to the introduction of improved breeds.The programme is a rural development plow-attune with an emphasises on livestockimprovement which will be achieved through tsetse and trypanosomiasis control.This will result in increased productivity of the indigenous bleeds and together witheducation and training allow for the gradual upgrading of these cattle. No new lands willbe opened to livestock, rather the productivity of the existing system will be enhanced.The tsetse control activities involve the community, particularly women, at all levels andthe emphasis will be on the use of traps and synthetic pyrethroids in the form of pour-onsapplied directly to livestock, The long term aim of the project is sustainable ruraldevelopment with tsetse control organised and financed by the livestock keepers.however, at present this is not a realistic goal as the farmers in the area have neither theknowledge nor the means to initiate and sustain tsetse control as their livestock providelittle or no income. Edt► cation and training in improved land use systems integrating cropand livestock production will be important components of the project. Livestockimprovement programmes aimed at a gradual upgrading of the indigenous cattle will beincluded once some measure of tsetse control is achieved. These involve the establishmentof an Artificial Insemination service, a bull scheme and demonstration zero-grazing dairyschemes. Such activities will be integrated with improved animal health, nutrition andwater supplies and the increased use of animal traction and manure will ensur c moreefficient crop production for both human and animal consumption. Surplus income fromlivestock products and cash crops will.provide the means to sustain the tsetse controlactivities after the end of the project. The project also aims to fund non specified ruraldevelopment activities to meet additional felt needs of the community.