Farmer’s Resource Flow Decisions on Farm-Level Interventions on Livestock Water Productivity: A Conceptual Model Approach

Abstract

Across sub-saharan Africa water related poverty occurs because farmers lack dependable water resources and capacity to use them. Improvement in agricultural water management offer opportunities in poverty alleviation at farm-level. An integrated framework was developed to identify sets of options as interventions for different farmer profiles in mixed croplivestock systems. A combination of participatory rural appraisal (PRAs), household survey and gap analysis tools were used in Nkayi district, Zimbabwe to quantify the current crop and livestock production levels. The tools used identified gapsn animal health management, improved feeding, livestock sales and poor crop yields between different farmer wealth profiles in terms of mortalities, poor crop yield, reduced crop and livestock sales, poor feed quality and quantity.Interventions in terms of improved feed sourcing, improved animal health, soil fertility management and access to markets are possible solutions to the challenges faced by the different farmer profiles. If farmers’ different levels and capacities in terms of resources available are taken into consideration, there is a chance to improve the livestock water productivity at farm-level in semi-arid Zimbabwe.