The Impact of Human Factors and Environmental Challenges on Livestock Production in Zamfara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Different types of economic productions take place in different environment, and environment like human societies has been dynamic consequent to human and natural factors. Livestock production in Zamfara significantly relies on the rangeland to graze animals and raining season agricultural with small scale dry season farm production to produce animal feeds mainly sourced from agricultural residues. Therefore, human factor and the environment play vital roles in livestock production systems in the study area. Pastoralism constitute the major form of livestock production system in Zamfara, hence the critical role of the environment cannot be overemphasized. Livestock population in Zamfara is declining at an unprecedented rate, consequent to wide range of factors like the degradation of the environment and declining pasture resources and security challenges, which have compelled migration of the pastoralists out of the state. Livestock are not only important sources of meat protein and dairy products which provide high value protein food, but also supplies industrial raw materials like hides and skin, dried blood for poultry feeds, bones for glass and chalk processing, etc. In view of the foregoing, this paper examines the consequences of environmental challenges and human factor on livestock production in Zamfara.