Smallholder farmers practices of crops livestock integration in the district of Aguié (Niger): Agricultural production and livestock feed

Crop production and livestock are main economic activities of most populations in Maradi region. The objective of this work is to study agricultural production and livestock feeding in terms of farming practices of crops livestock integration in 4 villages of Aguié. The results of surveys randomly conducted on a sample of 78 farmers showed that farmers were categorized into two groups, which are farmers (67%) and agro-pastoralists (33%). However, the multivariate analysis of data highlighted existence of three categories of agro-pastoralist farmers, distinct in terms of their means of existence and levels of integration. It was counted 21% of population who have plows and seeders, while 51% have carts. According to distribution of oxen in farms, a proportion of 51% were small farms have no draft oxen, while 45% of farms have a draft oxen, 3 % of farms have a pair of oxen and 1 % of farms has five (5) draft oxen. Cereal production in Kg is 862 ± 419 for Small Farms (SF); 1008 ± 132.7 for Medium Farms (MF) and 5748 ± 4068 for Big Farms (BF). As for production (Kg) of legumes; SF produce on average 293 ±139.3, MF 452 ± 123.7 and the BF 991 ± 208.5. With regard to sales and self-consumption of cereals and legumes, BF carry out these practices in large quantities. In MF, for a millet production of 4,155.99 ± 613.49 kg, the millet stovers are 2,068.85 ± 305.39 kg. Cowpea production in BF is 359.08 ±135.25 kg for 65.64 ± 24.72 kg of cowpea haulms. The sorghum stovers for BF, MF and SF is respectively 566.2; 276.8 and 125.2 kg with land capital in Ha of 8.1 (BF), 3 (MF) and 1.8 (SF). Despite fodder available which is 2,227.5 kg for 0.58 TLU in the SF; 2,441.1 kg for 1.63 TLU at the MF level and 4,414.5 kg for 3.03 TLU, fodder balance is in deficit in all farms according to fodder requirement (Kg/270 days)