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Millets are important crops in the semiarid tropics of Asia and Africa, especially in India, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger, with 97% of production in developing countries. [2] The crop is favoured for its productivity and short growing season under hot dry conditions.
A farmer and his cow. The majority of herders in African countries are livestock owners. Livestock farming is a part of Nigeria's agriculture system. In 2017, Nigeria had approximately over 80 million poultry farming, 76 million goats, 43.4 million sheep, 18.4 million cattle, 7.5 million pigs, and 1.4 million of its equivalent. [26]
Sorghum grown as forage crop.. Forage is a plant material (mainly plant leaves and stems) eaten by grazing livestock. [1] Historically, the term forage has meant only plants eaten by the animals directly as pasture, crop residue, or immature cereal crops, but it is also used more loosely to include similar plants cut for fodder and carried to the animals, especially as hay or silage.
The crop is mainly grown for its seeds, which are high in protein, although the leaves and immature seed pods can also be consumed. Cowpeas were domesticated in Africa [4] and are one of the oldest crops to be farmed. A second domestication event probably occurred in Asia, before they spread into Europe and the Americas.
The main crops grown in the region are millet, sorghum, and cowpea, while groundnut and sesame are significant minor crops. [10] Wild foods also serve as an important supplement to the diet, especially during times of food shortage. [10] The bulk crops are grown during the rainy season which begins in June or July, [6] when the temperature is warm.
Silvopasture integrates livestock, forage, and trees. (photo: USDA NAC) Silvopasture (silva is forest in Latin) is the practice of integrating trees, forage, and the grazing of domesticated animals in a mutually beneficial way. [1] It utilizes the principles of managed grazing, and it is one of several distinct forms of agroforestry. [2]
Alfalfa usually has the highest feeding value of all common hay crops. It is used less frequently as pasture. [11] When grown on soils where it is well-adapted, alfalfa is often the highest-yielding forage plant, but its primary benefit is the combination of high yield per hectare and high nutritional quality. [24]
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) production is vital to the economy of Nigeria as the country is the world's largest producer of the commodity. The crop is produced in 24 of the country's 36 states. In 1999, Nigeria produced 33 million tonnes, while a decade later, it produced approximately 45 million tonnes, which is almost 19% of production in the ...