Feleke Assefa, Tsegaye Ano, Teshale Aba and Zehara Ebrahim
This study was conducted to assess the types of improved forages and their utilization in Shashogo woreda, Hadiya zone. To find the result, both primary information via questionnaire and secondary data from different relevant offices, published and unpublished sources were gathered using 160 statistically selected households. The result of the study indicated that the main forage species widely distributed in the study area were elephant grass, napier grass, rhodes grass, sesbania, leucaena and alfalfa with their decreasing order of availability, respectively. As reported by the respondents only a small area of land was allocated for forage development. Apart from utilizing for feed, farmers also use improved forage species for soil and water conservation (desho grass), fencing and as a wind break (Sesbania and Leucaena). Farmers utilize improved forage for different classes of animals. The highest priority was given for lactating cows. Fattening cattle, pregnant cows and calves in the dry season are the second, third and fourth prioritized animal classes that utilize improved forage. According to the results of the survey, about 37.5 % of the interviewed households have access to training on improved forage development, its use and utilization where as the rest of the respondents did not get the chance of training. Land shortage is the major constraints of improved forage adoption in the study area with priority index value of 0.35. Lack of capital to cover the higher costs of developing improved forage species, lack of knowledge or awareness and poor extension services were the first, the second, the third and the fourth constraints with index values 0.32, 0.22 and 0.12, respectively as reported by the respondents.
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