The Potential and Limitations of Grasslands for Livestock Production in West Shoa Zone of Oromia Region, Ethiopia

Ethiopia holds the largest livestock population in Africa estimated at about 54 million heads of cattle, 25.5 million sheep, 24.06 million goats, 0.92 million camels, 4.5 million donkeys, 1.7 million horses, 0.33 million mules, 54 million chicken and 4.9 million beehives (CSA, 2012). Despite the huge livestock population, the productivity of livestock in general is low and compared to its huge resource its contribution to the national economy is below expected. Among the major problems affecting livestock production and productivity in Ethiopia, feed shortage in terms of quantity and quality is the leading problem (Alan et al., 2012). The major feed resources in Ethiopia are natural pasture (grasslands) and crop residues with varying proportion among the different zones of the country. The role of natural pasture grazing as a major livestock feed resource is diminishing from time to time due to shrinking grazing land size (Yayneshet, 2010). Yet, the potential and limitations of the grasslands in the different zones are not studied and properly documented. Thus, the objective of this study is to assess the potentials and limitations of the vast grasslands found in west Shoa zone of the Oromia Regional State of Ethiopia where the LIVES project is currently operating