Diagnosis and Improvement Prospects of Cattle Breeding in the Ouarsenis Region (Tissemsilt, Algeria)

Abstract

The aim the present work is the general diagnosis of cattle farming from the perspective of the breeder, the operation and management practices adopted, constraints, the prospects for improvements and development of this activity. The Thirty cattle farms visited are spread across seven (07) districts and ten (10) municipalities located in the Tissemsilt province such as: Tissemsilt, Khemisti, Ammari, Theniet El Had, Ouled Bessam, Laayoun, Bordj Emir Abdelkader, Malaab ,Lardjem and Beni Lahcen. The sample reached farms that differ in their geographical structures steppe, highlands, forested, and mountainous to ensure a diversity of breeding practices (reproduction, quality of breeders, feeding, type of production, breeds used...) and to gather constraints and study the prospects of cattle farming in the Tissemsilt region. Cattle breeding in the wilaya of Tissemsilt presents a significant diversity, which is mainly due to the breeding methods followed, the food resources, the structure of the farms, the size of the herd, as well as the reproductive management followed and type of production targeted. The average age of the surveyed breeders is 49 years and the majority these breeders rely on family labor (66%).The average experience of farmers is 22 years, with 52% having less than 20 years. The breeding method is oriented towards extensive farming, with 48% due to the geographical characteristics of the region. The production of the surveyed farms is mixed (meat - milk) at 80% with the absence of milking machines means that 64% of the milking is done manually. For the feeding of cattle, we found the existence of two periods; the first period is the grazing period during the spring and summer, the second period is the stabling period from autumn to winter. The reproduction is based on natural mating (57%). Finally ,we can conclude from our investigation that cattle breeding at the wilaya of Tissemsilt can be developed and progressed if there is a combination of all efforts of breeders and state.