BISHOP STUART UNIVERSITY

COURSE UNIT: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN ANIMAL HEALTH

AND PRODUCTION

FACULTY: FAEST

GROUP MEMBERS

NAMES REG. NO

AINEBYOONA DACHUS 21/BSU/BAHP/2091

TUYIZERE ROBERT 21/BSU/DAHP/0319

ARINDA ABERAH 21/BSU/BAHP/1200

NAHURIRA APOPHIA 21/BSU/DAHP/1580

AMANYIRE MUHWEZI 21/BSU/DAHP/0477

COURSE WORK.

Question:

Information is one of the resources inhibited to different stake-holders in the livestock value
chain. One of the sustainable development goals is to reduce hunger and increase house hold
income. Discuss how you can develop community using the available information sources.
Information sources refer to the areas and personalities where a researcher can obtain data during
an agricultural research. These include the farm, farmers and laborers

Information needs refer to a set of items a researcher is basing on when carrying out an
agricultural research. Information needs include diseases affecting livestock, the source of feeds
and problems facing the farmers during sustaining their farms.

After making a research visit to Nshenyi sub-county, most farmers had various problems
including shortage of feeds, shortage of capital, poor transport facilities, inadequate veterinary
services and pests and diseases among others. According to my ranking, depending on the
frequency of each problem forwarded, I have been able to establish that the major problem
affecting farmers and their enterprises is inadequate feeds.

Some farmers had a problem of land shortage and this can be solved by adopting better systems
of livestock rearing forecast rotational grazing by paddocking. This is where animal are pit in
one paddock for some time at least a week, from paddock 1 to 4. By the return to the first
paddock the pastures will have regrown and the cycle continues. This maintains a higher
productivity leading to increased income.

Shortage of land can also be solved by encouraging farmers to diversify their land by clearing
areas of the farm with unpalatable and less palatable plants; this area can be used to plant
pastures that can be fed to animals through zero grazing. Through this, many farmers register
increased yields in the enterprise thus fetching high income.

Farmers are also facing a problem of diseases. This is largely attributed to poor feeding and this
can be dealt with by adding concentrates to the available feeds and ensuring that animals are fed
on rationed feeds. Contaminated feeds also impose a high risk of acquiring diseases and this can
be reduced by ensuring proper storage of the feeds and cleaning of feed troughs. This increases
the productivity and reduces losses encountered through poor health of the animals and their
death.

A problem of shortage of pastures was also registered. Poor quality pastures can be solved by
applying fertilizers either artificial or organic to enhance the nutrient content of the soil hence
supporting growth of healthy and highly nutritious feeds. This increases the amount of pastures
available for the animals reducing pasture shortage. It increases the quality and quantity of the
products leading to high income obtained.

Farmers are facing a problem of inadequate transport means which are appropriate. This can be
solved by ensuring improved infrastructure which includes renovation of the existing roads to
ensure easy and fast transportation of concentrates after purchase from the shopping center to the
farm. Improved infrastructure enables transportation of feeds from farms where they are grown
to the farm and processing units where they can be converted into hay or silage for future use p.
This enables availability of feeds to animals throughout the year hence leading to continuous
high production fetching high income.

There is also a problem of capital shortage. This can be dealt with by encouraging farmers to
obtain Short term loans from financial institution such as banks and SACCOs at low interest
rate , the obtained funds can be used to purchased concentrates , purchase fertilizers to apply in
pasture farm lands to ensure their proper growth and making a silage plus it's storage in a silage
bunker . This improves the nutrient content of pasture hence increased production and
subsequent income increase.

Farmers are also facing a problem of inadequate machinery. Farmers with feeds are losing them
due to failure to preserve them for future use, this can be solved by obtaining loans at a lower
interest rate and purchasing machinery such as a chopper to make silage and hay which can be
properly stored and fed to animals in times of feed scarcity and prevent wastage in times of
plenty .Farmers are also encouraged to hire skilled labour to operate those machines or else learn
how to operate them.