Characterizing Ethiopian cattle production systems for disease burden analysis

Area of Science:

• Agricultural economics
• Animal science
• Ethiopian economy

Background:

• Knowledge gaps exist regarding livestock biomass, productivity, and economic value in Ethiopia's pastoral, mixed crop-livestock, and specialized dairy systems.
• Cattle are a significant component of Ethiopia's agricultural sector, providing essential resources and economic contributions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the biomass, productivity, and economic value of cattle across different production systems in Ethiopia.
• To address knowledge gaps and inform policy decisions related to cattle production.

Main Methods:

• Utilized official statistics and a meta-analysis of published literature to determine cattle population, reproductive performance, mortality, offtake, and productivity.
• Employed a herd dynamics model to estimate biomass and output value for cattle in 2020.
• Calculated economic asset values and total combined output value for cattle production.

Main Results:

• The mixed crop-livestock system dominates, comprising 78% of Ethiopia's 55 million cattle and contributing $8.52 billion USD to the economy in 2021.
• Estimated total cattle biomass in 2021 was 14.8 billion kg, with the mixed crop-livestock system accounting for the largest share (11.3 billion kg).
• Total cattle economic asset value reached $31.37 billion USD, with a combined output value of $11.9 billion USD (11.2% of Ethiopia's GDP in 2021).

Conclusions:

• Cattle production, particularly within the mixed crop-livestock system, is a vital economic driver for Ethiopia.
• The study provides crucial data on herd structure, productivity, biomass, and economic value to guide policy and identify areas for improvement.
• Findings can inform technical analyses, such as disease burden assessments, to further optimize cattle production systems.