The impact of small ruminants breeding in the operation of oasian agricultural farms in Algeria
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Date
2021
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Journal of Livestock Science
Abstract
This work focuses on the study of the impact of small ruminantsbreeding in oasis agriculture in the
Oued-Righvalley in south-eastern Algeria. Fifty (50) farms maintaining livestock were surveyed using a
questionnaire. A principal component analysis (ACP) was performed to determine the typology of the farms
studied, using structural and operational variables. Based on ten (10) variables including three qualitative (type
of exploitation according to status, prophylaxis and coverage of the animal by food) and seven (07) quantitative
(age, area of farms, forage area, organic matter used, organic matter purchased, number of goat heads, number of
sheep heads), three types of farms were identified. Type 1 comprises 33 farms (66%), with an area of 0.5 to 2
hectares and an average of 5.6 heads of animals per farm. Type 2 comprises seven farms (14%), with an area of
2.5 to 19 hectares and an average of four heads of animals per farm. Type 3 comprises 10 farms (20%), with an
area of 5.2 to 19 hectares and an average of seven animals per farm. The study showed that the farms studied are
impacted by the lack of organic matter from their livestock, used in the amendment of their crops, due to the
regression in the number of livestock and the narrowness of livestock areas.