INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN SMALL RUMINANT LIVESTOCK REARING AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR FOOD SECURITY IN THE TOLON-KUMBUNGU DISTRICT OF NORTHERN GHANA

Abstract

Small ruminant livestock play a crucial role towards food security at the global, national and local levels. In rural communities in particular where poverty is high, small ruminants provide the major income for foodstuffs, and farm inputs and manure for crop production, to enhance food security. Although rural livestock production in northern Ghana is largely dependent on indigenous technologies and approaches of small-scale farmers, these technologies and approaches are not being adequately integrated into formal agricultural research and extension systems to enhance productivity and address rural food insecurity. The objective of this research was therefore to examine the causes of low productivity in small ruminant livestock and poor integration of indigenous knowledge (IK) technologies for household food security improvement in the Tolon-Kumbungu District in Northern Region of Ghana. The study used a survey research approach, employing both qualitative and quantitative methods in data collection and analysis. Questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions were the main data collection methods used, and involved 239 farmers from twelve (12) communities and fifty (50) field officers from five (5) agricultural agencies operating in the district. The study found that rural farmers possess a wealth of indigenous husbandry knowledge and technologies for rearing livestock including; traditional breed improvement, use of local feed stuffs under free-range and zero grazing systems, housing in traditional kraals and pens, and using mainly ethno-veterinary medicines to treat livestock diseases. Yet only a moderate 64% of field staff of agricultural agencies in the district actually integrate farmers’ IK technologies and practices into their livestock research and extension activities. The study also confirmed the contribution of livestock in household food security, as 68.7% of farmers in the study district sell between one to five small ruminants to buy food stuffs and farm inputs, especially during the hunger period of March to July. Rural farmers must however also share the blame for the low small ruminants’ production as the study discovered that only 13% of farmers integrated or complemented their IK with best modern technologies for livestock production. On the basis of these findings, the study recommends agricultural agencies to pay greater attention to IK integration into intervention programmes and technologies for sustainable production and enhancement of rural food security. To add impetus, national agricultural policies and programmes should give priority attention to rural farmers’ technologies and approaches in order to sustainably improve the livestock sub-sector which rests largely on rural small-scale farmers.