Chapter 5: Sierra Leone

5.1 Background
5.2 Livestock numbers and distribution
5.3 Cattle
5.4 Sheep and goats
5.5 Research and development activities
5.6 Selected bibliography
5.7 Major changes since 1977

5.1 Background

The country is divided into three administrative provinces and the Western area which includes the capital, Freetown.

Makeni is the capital of the Northern Province, Kenema of the Eastern Province and Bo of the Southern Province.

Livestock activities are the responsibility of the Veterinary Division of the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources which is a merger of two ministries, the Ministry of National Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture.

Data for the country are given in Table 1.

Table 1. Human and animal populations of Sierra Leone, 1984.

Human population (1984)
	- number	3 700 000
	- density	51/km²
Animal population (1984)
	-cattle	333 181
	- sheep	264 000
	- goats	145 000

Source: For human population, official projection (+2.3%) based on the 1974 census.

For animal population, projection (+1.3% for sheep and goats and 0.0% for cattle) based on the Hunting Technical Services Limited Report census (1979).

During area-specific surveys conducted by Luckins et al (1979), no tsetse species were captured at Njala. G. palpalis was captured at Teko and Musaia. According to a recent survey, G. tachinoides is found in the Northern Province around Teko (Carew, 1984).

5.2 Livestock numbers and distribution

An aerial animal population census was carried out by Hunting Technical Services Ltd in 1978. The results were not available for publication in Volume 2 of this study and are presented in Table 2 by province or district.

5.3 Cattle

5.3.1 N'Dama breed characterisation
5.3.2 Diseases
5.3.3 Herd management and composition

The majority of the cattle population in Sierra Leone (333 181 head) are of the trypanotolerant N'Dama breed.

Table 2. Livestock distribution in Sierra Leone, 1978.

District	Cattle	Sheep	Goats
Bo	2 027	13 123	16 702
Bonthe	137	5 096	8 314
Moyamba	7 015	31 525	9 417
Pujehun	512	11 710	2 399
Southern Province	9 691	61 454	36 833
Kailahun	592	6 828	10 241
Kenema	291	21 553	5 711
Kono	29 397	8 678	6 819
Eastern Province	30 280	37 059	22 771
Bombali	76 456	27 422	24 318
Kambia	22 037	14 978	6 729
Koinadugu	151 455	34 808	14 215
Port Loko	30 815	47 900	15 510
Tonkolili	11 572	17 437	14 854
Northern Province	292 335	142 545	73 626
Western Province	875	2 952	832
Total	333 181	244 010	134 062

Source: Hunting Technical Services Ltd (1979).

5.3.1 N'Dama breed characterisation

5.3.1.1 PERFORMANCE TRAITS

The report of the Hunting Technical Services Ltd gives an age at-first calving under village conditions of 48 months, calving rate of 65%, mean herd mortality rate of 15%, mortality rate of calves between 0 and 1 year of 45% and adult mortality rate of 3%.

Teko Livestock Station imported some Sahiwal in 1974 with the aim of improving the milk production of the N'Dama. Data collected between 1971 and 1980 were analysed with the assistance of ILCA (Carew et al, 1986) and give valuable information on the comparative performance of the N'Dama, Sahiwal and their crossbreds.

The main results of this study are given in Table 3.

Table 3. Production traits of N'Dama, N'Dama x Sahiwal and Sahiwal at Teko station (estimated least squares means).

			N'Dama	Sahiwal	N'Dama x Sahiwal
Age at first calving (months)			46.5 ± 0.7	37.7 ± 1.2	32.4 ± 2.1
Calving interval (days)			545
Calf mortality rate(%)
	- perinatal		2	4.7	4
	- 0-6 months		6.4	25.5	2.7
	- perinatal and 0-6 months		8.4	30.2	6.7
	- 6-12 months		1.5
	- adult cow mortality rate		0		16.6
Weight(kg)
	- birth		14.9	23.8	22.0
	- 3 months		35.3	62.5	45.8
	- 6 months		49.9	97.9	66.4
	- 9 months		63.0	129.6	83.5
	- 12 months		75.5	152.2	98.0
	- 15 months		84.5	191.3	112.6
	- 18 months		94.4	218.8	134.7
	- of mature cows:		208
		- at calving	225	395	238
		- 3 months after calving	192	336	206
		- 6 months after calving	188	321	210
		- 9 months after calving	191	337	213
ADG of calves (g/d)
	- 0-6 months		194	411	246
	- 0-18 months		146	361	208

Source: Carew et al (1986).

5.3.1.2 PRODUCTIVITY INDEX

Table 4 summarises estimates of the main production traits of the N'Dama based on the index defined in Volume I of the previous study.

Table 4. N'Dama productivity estimates at Teko station.

Adult females viability (%)	100
Calving percentage (%)	67
Calf viability to one year (%)	92.1
Calf weight at 1 year (kg)	75.5
Productivity index per cow per year (kg)	46.5
Adult females weight (kg)	208
Productivity index per 100 kg of cow per year (kg)	22.3

Source: Index compiled by authors.

In the study by Carew et al (1986), the following indices were calculated using a slightly different method from that used to calculate earlier indexes:

Index 1: Calf weight at 6 months per cow per year calculated for each calving as the product of calf weight at 6 months x 365 ÷ calving interval

Index 2: Calf weight at 6 months per 100 kg of cow per year, calculated as index 1 ÷ average weight of cow x 100

Index 3: Total weight of calves at 6 months per 100 kg metabolic weight per cow per year, calculated as index 1 ÷ average cow weight raised to the power 0.73 x 100.

The results appear in Table 5.

Table 5. Productivity index by breed for the three breeds.

	Index 1	Index 2	Index 3
N'Dama	35	19.7	80
N'Dama x Sahiwal	39.6	21.8	90
Sahiwal	67.8	21.1	101

Source: Carew et al (1986).

Furthermore, this study shows that for 6-month-old calves, the Sahiwal breed, compared to the N'Dama, produces 13% more calves per cow per year, 11% more calves per 100 kg cow maintained per year and 12% more calves per 100 kg metabolic weight per cow per year.

Compared to the N'Dama, productivity estimates for 6 month-old-calves produced by the pure Sahiwal breed was 105% higher per cow per year, 16% higher per 100 kg of cow per year and 34% higher per 100 kg metabolic weight per cow per year. It should, however, be emphasised that these results were obtained under station conditions and may vary considerably under other environmental conditions (Carew et al, 1986). There are no longer any pure Sahiwal at Teko station.

5.3.2 Diseases

In spite of vaccination campaigns conducted over the past 15 years, rinderpest and contagious bovine pleuropneumonia are a major threat. In 1984, a "Protective vaccination campaign against rinderpest" was funded by FAO as part of a cooperation programme for assistance project. In January 1985, this project was followed by the Pan African Rinderpest Campaign (PARC).

Although animal trypanosomiasis does not seem to be a major problem, a joint FAO/IAEA mission was undertaken in 1986 at the request of the government to study the possibility of using the release of sterile males to control african animal trypanosomiasis.

5.3.3 Herd management and composition

Through the activities of the Sierra Leone Work Oxen Project, started in 1978, work oxen are now extensively used in the Northern Province. The project had trained 350 pairs of draught oxen by the end of 1984, mainly in the Bombali and Koinadugu districts. With an estimated N'Dama population of 330 000, the country can produce 40 000 draught oxen (Starkey, 1982). It has been envisaged to establish Work Oxen Units in the other provinces with the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources which has been providing funds to the project since 1985, with the participation of ODA (Straw, 1985; Starkey, 1986).

5.4 Sheep and goats

No recent data on sheep and goats were available.

5.5 Research and development activities

Musaia Stock Farm, Njala University College and Teko Station continue to carry out upgrading and multiplication activities with N'Dama cattle. In 1983, Njala University maintained a herd of 210 N'Dama and Teko Station a herd of 60 N'Dama, 50 crossbreds and 15 Sahiwals. In 1986, the last of the purebred Sahiwals had allegedly disappeared at this station. Data on Musaia Stock Farm were not available.

There are a number of rural development projects referred to as IADP (Integrated Agricultural Development Project) with a livestock production component. They include:

The Koinadugu Integrated Agricultural Development Project which should end in 1986 and is managed by Musaia Station.

The Northern Integrated Development Project manages the Malal Mara ranch which has an area of 200 ha. In 1985, the ranch had a herd of 200 head. These two projects are managed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Other Integrated Agricultural Development projects (IADP) include the Eastern Area IADP and the Northwest IADP, neither of which has a livestock component (FAO, 1983).

Other developmental activities include the Work Oxen Project mentioned above and the Mano River Union (MRU) Development Programme with several components: pastures and forage resources, development of trypanotolerant cattle and sheep and pig production (Straw, 1985).

A feasibility study was conducted recently by an FAO mission in the three MRU countries on the establishment of a N'Dama Upgrading and Multiplication Centre Network (Gyening, 1986). The centres selected for Sierra Leone are Musaia, Teko, Malal Mara and Njala University.

An FAO mission is expected to visit Sierra Leone in September 1986, to identity a Small Ruminants Production Development Project and an Integrated Livestock and Agricultural Development Project.

5.6 Selected bibliography

Carew S F. 1984. Country Report: Sierra Leone. Presented at the first meeting to coordinate the activities in West Africa of the Programme for the Control of African Animal Trypanosomiasis and Related Development held in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Carew S F, Sandford J, Wissocq Y J, Durkin J and Trail J C M. 1986. N'Dama cattle production at Teko Livestock Station, Sierra Leone and initial results from crossbreeding with Sahiwal. ILCA Bulletin 23:2-10.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). 1983. Report to the Mano River Union of a preparatory assistance mission under the FAO Programme for the Control of African Animal Trypanosomiasis and Related Development. Rome, Italy. 99 pp.

Gyening K O. 1986. Consultant's report on trypanotolerant cattle in the Mano River Union States. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Hunting Technical Services Limited. 1979. Report, 1979. Sierra Leone. Livestock development study. Volumes I and II. Freetown, Sierra Leone. 312 pp.

Kuckins A G. Mitchell D and Blasdale P. 1979. The status of tsetse and trypanosomiasis in Sierra Leone with special reference to multiplication of trypanotolerant cattle. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Rome, Italy.

Shaw A. 1985. Consultation Mission on the marketing and breeding of trypanotolerant cattle. FAO project GCP/RAF/190/ITA. Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

Starkey P H. 1979. Draught Oxen Project. Background, proposals, progress. Sierra Leone Work Oxen Project, Njala University College, Freetown, Sierra Leone. 16 pp.

Starkey P H. 1982. N'Dama cattle as draught animals in Sierra Leone. World Animal Review (FAO) 42:19-26.

Starkey P H and Kann B. 1985. Animal traction in Sierra Leone. In: Poats S V, Lichte J, Oxley J, Russo S L and Starkey P H (eds), Animal traction in a farming systems perspective. A farming systems support project net workshop March 3-8, 1985, Kara, Togo. FSSP Network Report 1. FSSP (Farming Systems Support Project), University of Florida, Florida, USA. pp. 35-36.

5.7 Major changes since 1977

A detailed study including aerial surveys was carried out in 1978-79 on the livestock sector in Sierra Leone. Even though the data presented in this study were collected several years ago, they are evidently more representative of the current situation than previous data.

Additional data were obtained by analysing data for Teko Station on the production of N'Dama raised under station conditions and on N'Dama x Sahiwal crossbreds. The disappearance of the pure Sahiwal breed and the decreasing number of N'Dama x Sahiwal crossbreds indicate that in spite of the relatively high performances obtained, crossbreeding between trypanotolerant and trypanosusceptible breeds remain difficult to control even in a well controlled environment.

The continued participation of Sierra Leone in the joint Mano River Union programme for the upgrading of the N'Dama would ensure that it continues to develop its cattle breeding sector.