(a) State three ways in which each of the following factors hinders livestock production in West Africa: (i) breeding; (ii) nutrition; (iii) healthcare; (iv...

(a) Ways in which the following factors hinder livestock production

(i) Breeding

- Inadequate know-how/techniques/skills/ knowledge for breeding

- Unavailability of improved breeds/presence of poor or low quality breeds

- Inability of improved breeds to adapt to the environment

- Inadequate breeders

- Little breeding work is done.

 - Breeding of animal Is is expensive.

- Breeding of animals is time-consuming.

- Indigenous traits could be lost.

- Poor extension services

(ii) Nutrition

- Low quality/ poor pastures

- Competition between humans and animals for foodstuff

- Seasonality of forage

- Poor attitude towards establishment of pastures

- Inadequate supply of water

-  Malnutrition/poor nutrition/under-nutrition

- Bad feed formulation

- High cost of feed and feedstuff

- Poor extension services

(iii) Healthcare - Inadequate know-how of health care management by the farmers

- High incidence of diseases

 - High cost of pest/parasites

- High cost of drugs/vaccine/treatment

- Inadequate health care services/poor veterinary services/ inaccessibility or lack of standard health care services

- Poor vaccination ' preventive programmes

- Poor sanitation

- Poor implementation of quarantine regulation

- Poor extension services.

(iv) Government Policy

- Uncontrolled importation of animal products

- Political instability leading to unstable livestock and poultry policy

- High tax regimes double taxation on inputs

- Restriction of employment of extension officers

- Low allocation or resources to the livestock and poultry sector

- Poor implementation of livestock and poultry policy

- Poor extension services

(v) Finance

- High interest rate

- Inability of farmers to meet collateral requirements

- Difficulty in obtaining loan/credit

- High risk associated with livestock-and poultry production

- Most farmers are not credit worthy.

- Poor record keeping

- Poor/inadequate co-operative societies

- Lack of business plan/feasibility study

- Poor extension services

 - Insufficient capital/ there is no money.

(b) Factors that affect productivity of pastures

- Climate/weather

- Soil

- Management practices/stocking rate

- Pests attack

 - Seed type/ planting material

- Resistance to trampling/ tolerance

- Drought resistance

- Aggressiveness/ regenerating ability

- Diseases

- Compatibility of pastures