Atlas of grazing potential in Burkina Faso
Livestock accounts for 36% of Burkina Faso s exports The serious problems caused by the drought in the Sahel prompted CTA to produce a series of atlases dealing with the potential for animal husbandry and grazing in this region. Atlases for Niger and Chad were the first to be completed (see Spore 8) and the one for Burkina Faso has now been published. The grazing resources in the northern part of this country appear to be able to support livestock but this potential remains to be proven. Because it is less affected by the drought, however, this zone is favoured for the extension of such activities. There are several options for future development including the exploitation of areas where river blindness has been eradicated as well as better integrating of livestock raising with crop production. Fortunately, the groundwater resources do not appear to pose any problems and unexploited aquifers can now be tapped, thanks to new drilling techniques. Such water sources give nomadic herders, particularly in this region, access to grazing lands whose use has been restricted in the past by lack of watering facilities. In addition to the grazing and groundwater potential, the Burkina Faso atlas contains considerable information on forage resources (including mineral levels), livestock breeds, tsetse f!y, ticks, helminthiasis and veterinary services. Although subject to unreliable rainfall patterns, livestock raising remains an important economic activity in Burkina Faso representing 20% of the GNP and 36% of exports. There are an estimated 3 million cattle, 3.2 million goats and 2.1 million sheep, worth about 250 billion Fcfa. This study, which was prepared with the assistance of the IEMVT (Institute for Tropical Livestock and Veterinary Medecine), provides planners and livestock extension workers with a valuable tool for natural resource management. Inquiries: Documentation Service CTA P.O. Box 380 6700 AJ Wageningen The Netherlands
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| Format: | News Item biblioteca |
| Language: | English |
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Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation
1987
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| Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/10568/44705 http://collections.infocollections.org/ukedu/en/d/Jcta11e/ |
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