Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Feb 18, 2011 21:09:26 GMT 1
Many small animals, such as rodents and giant snails, are threatened by extinction in ACP countries. Rearing them in captivity helps to protect the species while providing meat and income for small-scale peri-urban farmers.
The rearing of so-called unconventional species - little known small animals - for meat is a longstanding practice. In Latin America, there is evidence to suggest that the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) was domesticated and bred for eating as long as 2,500 years ago.
Paradoxically, the term minilivestock keeping, used to describe the farming of small wild indigenous species such as rodents, frogs and snails, was only coined about twenty years ago. The fact that this type of activity has its own name shows that researchers and livestock experts are at last ready to recognise local species long prized by communities in many tropical countries. Minilivestock keeping concerns various species of vertebrates and invertebrates and differs from the small-scale farming of more classic livestock such as chickens and rabbits (see box).
In recent years, research into minilivestock keeping has started to gain momentum. Giant African snails and the greater cane rat or grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), also known as the cutting grass or agouti in Africa, made a cautious debut in the most recent edition of the French tropical agriculture guide Mémento de l'agronome in 2002, which devoted seven pages to these animals. Given the economic and ecological advantages of this type of livestock farming, it arguably deserves even greater attention. The need to produce animal protein for a relatively modest investment is more pressing than ever at a time when the price of fish and meat, including imported products, is soaring in most countries. Minilivestock keeping should not be seen as a rival to classic livestock rearing, but as a complement to other farming activities.
Highly prized meat
Suitable for women and children, small-scale farming of certain breeds of rodent is now widely seen as a valuable weapon in the fight against malnutrition and poverty. It provides protein to the poorest families, especially children who would otherwise eat no meat at all in cultures where tradition dictates that the head of the family should take priority. In Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mothers often breed guinea pigs for precisely this reason. The meat of snails, which is rich in iron, is recommended for expectant and breastfeeding women.
Studies have shown that in some parts of Central and West Africa, consumers prefer so-called bush meat, considered a great delicacy, to beef or lamb. In the major towns, clients nostalgic for the flavours of their home villages are prepared to pay a premium for farmed game and giant snails. This trend is helping to promote peri-urban and even urban farming of these small species. Minilivestock keeping is an affordable solution for women, young people and landless farmers, since it generally requires little space - it can even be practised in the corner of a room - and only needs basic equipment (a few cages) which is cheap and easy to make. The staple diet of rodents, for example, is inexpensive; it consists of fruit and vegetable offcuts, harvest waste and wild plants. That is a considerable advantage given the current price hikes in animal feed, which are in turn linked to the soaring cost of cereals and petroleum. Most of these local species, which originated in the wild, adapt well to captivity, reproduce very quickly, require little in the way of care and have good resistance to disease. In countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea, commercial grasscutter farms, each with more than a 1,000 animals, are achieving high productivity levels.
Farmed game
Other factors favouring the development of minilivestock keeping include growing demand and the dwindling, and in some cases disappearing, natural habitats for these indigenous species. There is a special urgency for some animals such as frogs, whose numbers are rapidly declining due to the disappearance of wetland areas combined with excessive harvesting in parts of East Africa (Burundi, DRC, Rwanda) where frogs' legs often feature on restaurant menus. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has declared 2008 the Year of the Frog, with a breeding programme backed by a US$60 million (€41.5 million) fund. Like frogs, wild grasscutters and giant pouched rats (Gambian pouched rat or African giant pouched rat) are victims of their success with consumers and becoming increasingly scarce in areas surrounding the capitals of Benin and Togo. In Côte d'Ivoire, hunters kill an estimated 8 million wild grasscutters per year. In the Caribbean, hutias (Geocapromys spp.), small rodents that are prey to humans, dogs and cats, have been saved in extremis from extinction and a few farms are now rearing them in captivity. Numbers of giant African snails are also declining, as a result of excessive harvesting, bushfires and poisoning by pesticides.
For the time being, the concept of rearing small game is mainly taking hold in countries where bush meat is firmly entrenched in local dietary practice, as in the Congo basin. In Gabon, consumption of game is said to be twice that of beef. Since 2002, DABAC, a project financed by the European Development Fund (EDF) aimed at developing alternatives to poaching in Central Africa, has been attempting to satisfy some of the high demand by rearing game on the outskirts of towns, most of it sold without intermediaries on the urban markets. Launched first in Gabon, the project has now been rolled out to Cameroon and Congo. However, in hunting areas, DABAC advocates small-scale rearing of poultry or pigs, rather than rodents, to compensate for lost revenues from poaching. Rural dwellers are reluctant to spend much time taking care of animals considered to be pests when they are easy to hunt and when production is only viable if a sizeable clientele is easily available.
The success of the grasscutter
Almost anyone can start up a small household activity based on a few rodents, but scaling up to the next level of a viable and regular output with a view to selling at market is altogether more challenging. Success will largely depend on developing clear technical strategies, based on sound veterinary and animal husbandry research, and the diffusion of affordable production methods that are suited to small-scale producers. Rearing grasscutters has proved successful in West Africa thanks to years of research on all aspects of this type of farming - buildings and equipment, feeding, reproduction, health and livestock behaviour. The studies began in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria in the 1970s before being launched in Benin with support from the German development corporation GTZ. The primary objective of this joint Benin-German project was to resolve problems linked to grasscutter habitat, captivity and disease. The experience gained in Benin should soon be made available to farmers in other sub-Saharan African countries as far down as South Africa, through the creation of national networks.
Guinea pig production is also well established, especially in South America. Extremely prolific, the guinea pig is best known as a pet and for its use in laboratory experiments. In tropical countries, it is mainly bred for its meat. Throughout Central and West Africa and as far east as DRC and Tanzania, as well as in Haiti (Caribbean), small-scale guinea pig farming based on a few animals contributes to food security. It is a relatively easy activity, aside from problems caused by inbreeding which can eventually affect the health and weight of animals.
Nutritious snails
Giant African snails (Achatina and Archachatina), which can weigh over 350 g, are highly prized in the coastal countries of West and Central Africa. Generally harvested from the wild, they are sold live at markets or removed from their shells and smoked. In Ghana, a factory cans giant snails for export. The high level of protein in their flesh (over 40%) makes them a valuable foodstuff. There are still wide gaps in the study of snail farming, especially when it comes to disease. Snails can be bred either in the open, in cages to protect them from predators, or in special pits. The main hurdles to successful snail farming lie in controlling humidity and in ensuring a crucial supply of calcium in their diet so that their fragile shells do not shatter during handling and transportation. Snail excrement makes good fertiliser. Trials in Benin have shown that leaving snails on a plot of land in rotation enriches the soil for growing vegetables.
Experts strongly advise against introducing exotic species for breeding. Islands in the Caribbean and Pacific have paid a high price for unwisely importing Achatina fulica from Nigeria. Not only did this species cause crop damage, but efforts to control it involved introducing another predatory breed, the rosy wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea) which has established itself at the expense of local gastropods.
The wide variety of species covered by minilivestock keeping is both a positive factor and an obstacle to the development of this sector, as livestock research tends to focus on animals found in vast areas spanning several countries. Making the results widely available and training technical staff in minilivestock keeping is without doubt a long and exacting challenge, but the economic, social and environmental pay-offs are such that it is undoubtedly worth the effort.
From: spore.cta.int/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=343&catid=9
Learn more about snail farming in Nigeria @ www.thethyconsulting.com/thebeautyofsnailfarming.htm
The rearing of so-called unconventional species - little known small animals - for meat is a longstanding practice. In Latin America, there is evidence to suggest that the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) was domesticated and bred for eating as long as 2,500 years ago.
Paradoxically, the term minilivestock keeping, used to describe the farming of small wild indigenous species such as rodents, frogs and snails, was only coined about twenty years ago. The fact that this type of activity has its own name shows that researchers and livestock experts are at last ready to recognise local species long prized by communities in many tropical countries. Minilivestock keeping concerns various species of vertebrates and invertebrates and differs from the small-scale farming of more classic livestock such as chickens and rabbits (see box).
In recent years, research into minilivestock keeping has started to gain momentum. Giant African snails and the greater cane rat or grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), also known as the cutting grass or agouti in Africa, made a cautious debut in the most recent edition of the French tropical agriculture guide Mémento de l'agronome in 2002, which devoted seven pages to these animals. Given the economic and ecological advantages of this type of livestock farming, it arguably deserves even greater attention. The need to produce animal protein for a relatively modest investment is more pressing than ever at a time when the price of fish and meat, including imported products, is soaring in most countries. Minilivestock keeping should not be seen as a rival to classic livestock rearing, but as a complement to other farming activities.
Highly prized meat
Suitable for women and children, small-scale farming of certain breeds of rodent is now widely seen as a valuable weapon in the fight against malnutrition and poverty. It provides protein to the poorest families, especially children who would otherwise eat no meat at all in cultures where tradition dictates that the head of the family should take priority. In Kivu, in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), mothers often breed guinea pigs for precisely this reason. The meat of snails, which is rich in iron, is recommended for expectant and breastfeeding women.
Studies have shown that in some parts of Central and West Africa, consumers prefer so-called bush meat, considered a great delicacy, to beef or lamb. In the major towns, clients nostalgic for the flavours of their home villages are prepared to pay a premium for farmed game and giant snails. This trend is helping to promote peri-urban and even urban farming of these small species. Minilivestock keeping is an affordable solution for women, young people and landless farmers, since it generally requires little space - it can even be practised in the corner of a room - and only needs basic equipment (a few cages) which is cheap and easy to make. The staple diet of rodents, for example, is inexpensive; it consists of fruit and vegetable offcuts, harvest waste and wild plants. That is a considerable advantage given the current price hikes in animal feed, which are in turn linked to the soaring cost of cereals and petroleum. Most of these local species, which originated in the wild, adapt well to captivity, reproduce very quickly, require little in the way of care and have good resistance to disease. In countries bordering the Gulf of Guinea, commercial grasscutter farms, each with more than a 1,000 animals, are achieving high productivity levels.
Farmed game
Other factors favouring the development of minilivestock keeping include growing demand and the dwindling, and in some cases disappearing, natural habitats for these indigenous species. There is a special urgency for some animals such as frogs, whose numbers are rapidly declining due to the disappearance of wetland areas combined with excessive harvesting in parts of East Africa (Burundi, DRC, Rwanda) where frogs' legs often feature on restaurant menus. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) has declared 2008 the Year of the Frog, with a breeding programme backed by a US$60 million (€41.5 million) fund. Like frogs, wild grasscutters and giant pouched rats (Gambian pouched rat or African giant pouched rat) are victims of their success with consumers and becoming increasingly scarce in areas surrounding the capitals of Benin and Togo. In Côte d'Ivoire, hunters kill an estimated 8 million wild grasscutters per year. In the Caribbean, hutias (Geocapromys spp.), small rodents that are prey to humans, dogs and cats, have been saved in extremis from extinction and a few farms are now rearing them in captivity. Numbers of giant African snails are also declining, as a result of excessive harvesting, bushfires and poisoning by pesticides.
For the time being, the concept of rearing small game is mainly taking hold in countries where bush meat is firmly entrenched in local dietary practice, as in the Congo basin. In Gabon, consumption of game is said to be twice that of beef. Since 2002, DABAC, a project financed by the European Development Fund (EDF) aimed at developing alternatives to poaching in Central Africa, has been attempting to satisfy some of the high demand by rearing game on the outskirts of towns, most of it sold without intermediaries on the urban markets. Launched first in Gabon, the project has now been rolled out to Cameroon and Congo. However, in hunting areas, DABAC advocates small-scale rearing of poultry or pigs, rather than rodents, to compensate for lost revenues from poaching. Rural dwellers are reluctant to spend much time taking care of animals considered to be pests when they are easy to hunt and when production is only viable if a sizeable clientele is easily available.
The success of the grasscutter
Almost anyone can start up a small household activity based on a few rodents, but scaling up to the next level of a viable and regular output with a view to selling at market is altogether more challenging. Success will largely depend on developing clear technical strategies, based on sound veterinary and animal husbandry research, and the diffusion of affordable production methods that are suited to small-scale producers. Rearing grasscutters has proved successful in West Africa thanks to years of research on all aspects of this type of farming - buildings and equipment, feeding, reproduction, health and livestock behaviour. The studies began in Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Nigeria in the 1970s before being launched in Benin with support from the German development corporation GTZ. The primary objective of this joint Benin-German project was to resolve problems linked to grasscutter habitat, captivity and disease. The experience gained in Benin should soon be made available to farmers in other sub-Saharan African countries as far down as South Africa, through the creation of national networks.
Guinea pig production is also well established, especially in South America. Extremely prolific, the guinea pig is best known as a pet and for its use in laboratory experiments. In tropical countries, it is mainly bred for its meat. Throughout Central and West Africa and as far east as DRC and Tanzania, as well as in Haiti (Caribbean), small-scale guinea pig farming based on a few animals contributes to food security. It is a relatively easy activity, aside from problems caused by inbreeding which can eventually affect the health and weight of animals.
Nutritious snails
Giant African snails (Achatina and Archachatina), which can weigh over 350 g, are highly prized in the coastal countries of West and Central Africa. Generally harvested from the wild, they are sold live at markets or removed from their shells and smoked. In Ghana, a factory cans giant snails for export. The high level of protein in their flesh (over 40%) makes them a valuable foodstuff. There are still wide gaps in the study of snail farming, especially when it comes to disease. Snails can be bred either in the open, in cages to protect them from predators, or in special pits. The main hurdles to successful snail farming lie in controlling humidity and in ensuring a crucial supply of calcium in their diet so that their fragile shells do not shatter during handling and transportation. Snail excrement makes good fertiliser. Trials in Benin have shown that leaving snails on a plot of land in rotation enriches the soil for growing vegetables.
Experts strongly advise against introducing exotic species for breeding. Islands in the Caribbean and Pacific have paid a high price for unwisely importing Achatina fulica from Nigeria. Not only did this species cause crop damage, but efforts to control it involved introducing another predatory breed, the rosy wolfsnail (Euglandina rosea) which has established itself at the expense of local gastropods.
The wide variety of species covered by minilivestock keeping is both a positive factor and an obstacle to the development of this sector, as livestock research tends to focus on animals found in vast areas spanning several countries. Making the results widely available and training technical staff in minilivestock keeping is without doubt a long and exacting challenge, but the economic, social and environmental pay-offs are such that it is undoubtedly worth the effort.
From: spore.cta.int/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=343&catid=9
Learn more about snail farming in Nigeria @ www.thethyconsulting.com/thebeautyofsnailfarming.htm
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