15.1 Background
15.2 Cattle numbers and distribution
15.3 Cattle
15.4 Sheep and goats
15.5 Research and development activities
15.6 Selected bibliography
15.7 Major changes since 1977
The General Directorate of Livestock Production and Animal Industries is now under the Ministry for Rural Development. It comprises the Directorate of Animal Production and Industries which is responsible for the Bambari Multiplication Centre and Doumie and Katakpa stations and a Directorate of Animal Health in charge of Bouar and Bambari Veterinary Laboratories. Data on human and animal populations for the country are given in Table 1.
Table 1. Human and animal populations of the Central African Republic (1983 and 1984).
|
Human population (1984) |
||
|
|
- number |
2 607 000 |
|
|
- density |
4.2/km² |
|
Animal population (1983) |
||
|
|
- cattle |
2147 384 |
|
|
- sheep |
93 619 |
|
|
- goats |
1016 748 |
Source: For human population, official projections from 1986 1990 the Five Year Development Plan. For animal population, RCA (1983).
There are still no specialised bodies or departments responsible for tsetse and African animal trypanosomiasis control in spite of the serious health threat posed by this disease. According to Mawuena (1984), almost the whole country is infested by the tsetse fly except for the mountainous Western region in Bouar which is in a high-altitude area. Several species have been identified in the region in previous years. However, the data available need to be updated. Tsetse control campaigns were organised in 1961-62 (in Topia Region), and in 1967 and 1970. It appears that the areas treated have been totally re-infested.
The cattle population of the Central African Republic still consists mainly of Mbororo Zebu. The remainder of the population consists of Fulani Zebu, and of trypanotolerant cattle maintained in the sharecropping system or on livestock production stations and some zebu x humpless cattle crossbreds. A census was carried out during the rinderpest vaccination campaign conducted in 1983. Table 2 shows cattle distribution by district in 1983, of all cattle mainly belonging to the zebu breed (nomadic cattle), and of trypanotolerant cattle and crossbreds (sedentary cattle).
Table 2. Cattle distribution by administrative division, 1983.
|
Veterinary Inspectorate |
District |
Nomadic cattle |
Sedentary cattle |
|
|
Population |
No. of sharecropping units |
Population |
||
|
Western |
Nana-Mambéré |
402 006 |
62 |
605 |
|
Haute-Sangha and Sangha Economique |
207 975 |
33 |
1 217 |
|
|
Total |
610 041 |
95 |
1 822 |
|
|
North-west |
Ouham-Pendé |
413 480 |
31 |
440 |
|
Ouham |
254 355 |
96 |
1 005 |
|
|
Total |
667 835 |
127 |
1 445 |
|
|
Centre-South |
Ombella-Mpoko |
367 368 |
|
917 |
|
Lobaye |
69 445 |
|
74 |
|
|
Total |
436 813 |
|
991 |
|
|
Centre-North |
Kemo Grib |
41 423 |
17 |
218 |
|
Gribi Economique |
18 178 |
4 |
34 |
|
|
Bamingui Bangoran |
- |
- |
- |
|
|
Vakage |
57 703 |
- |
- |
|
|
Total |
114 304 |
21 |
(1)252 |
|
|
Eastern |
Ouaka |
210 023 |
181 |
3 470 |
|
Basse Kotto |
91 578 |
106 |
1 690 |
|
|
Mbomou |
6 278 |
10 |
97 |
|
|
Haute-Kotto |
350 |
11 |
542 |
|
|
Total |
308 299 |
308 |
(2)5 761 |
|
|
Total (CRA) |
|
2 137 292 |
- |
10 092 |
(1)1982 data have been used for 1983 for lack of fresh data.
Source: RCA (1983).
The total cattle population increased to 2 147 384 head, including 99.6% of trypanosusceptible cattle and 0.4% of humpless cattle. According to estimates by the General Directorate of Livestock and Animal Industries, the trypanotolerant cattle population for 1984 was about 7400 head comprised of 6700 Baoulé, 600 N'Dama, and 100 zebu x humpless crossbreds.
Ranches and research stations account for 7% of the trypanotolerant cattle population. The remaining 93% are maintained under traditional management systems (Dgeia, 1984).
At the end of sharecropping operations in 1970, there were an estimated 22 000 Bos Taurus (Desrotour, 1982). Since then, the humpless cattle population has been increasingly declining at a mean annual rate of 4.9%. Table 3 summarises the development of this breed, based on 4500 head imported between 1955 and 1969.
Table 3. Development of Bos taurus numbers in sharecropping operations.
|
Year |
Number of Bos taurus in sharecropping operations |
Growth rate in % |
|
1965 |
7 620 |
- |
|
1969 |
15 150 |
+ 18.7 |
|
1978 |
9 550 |
- 5 |
|
1984 |
7 400 |
- 4.2 |
Source: BDPA (1985).
The distribution of sheep and goats in 1983 by district is given in Table 4. The data were collected during annual agricultural surveys and during the census carried out by some livestock inspectorates. No data on the distribution of sheep and goats between trypanotolerant and trypanosusceptible small ruminants were obtained.
Table 4. Distribution of sheep and goats by district, 1983.
|
Veterinary inspectorate |
District |
Sheep |
Goats |
|
Western |
Nana-Mambéré |
18 019 |
119 898 |
|
Sangha Econ. |
5 140 |
28 637 |
|
|
Total |
23 159 |
148 535 |
|
|
North-West |
Ouham-Pendé |
17 574 |
122 230 |
|
Ouham |
19 209 |
197 419 |
|
|
Total |
36 783 |
319 649 |
|
|
Centre-South |
Ombella-Mpoko |
4 071 |
43 269 |
|
Lobave |
3 845 |
38 861 |
|
|
Total |
7 916 |
82 130 |
|
|
Centre-North |
Kemo, Gribing. |
559 |
46 373 |
|
Gribingui. Econ. |
974 |
35 166 |
|
|
Baminigui Bangoran |
2 228 |
10 051 |
|
|
Vakata |
- |
- |
|
|
Total |
3 761 |
91 590 |
|
|
Eastern |
Ouaka |
16 306 |
180 536 |
|
Basse-Kotto |
5 249 |
143 177 |
|
|
Haute-Kotto |
- |
27 047 |
|
|
Mbomou |
445 |
24 084 |
|
|
Haute-Mbomou |
- |
- |
|
|
Total |
22 000 |
374 844 |
|
|
Total CAR, 1983 |
|
93 619 |
1 016 748 |
Source: RCA (1983).
As was the case in 1975, there are 10 times more goats than sheep and the goat population is concentrated mainly in the Western and Eastern Regions. The six administrative districts of Nana-Mambéré, Ouham, Ouham-Pendé, Ouaka, Bamingui-Bangoran and Basse-Kotto account for 76% of the total population (UDEAC, 1985).
15.3.1 Breed description
15.3.2 Diseases
15.3.3 Herd composition
15.3.1.1 BAOULE
The only recent data available are those collected in 1984 by a BDPA mission, for Baoulé herds maintained under sharecropping systems. The results are given in Table 5.
Table 5. Baoulé production traits in herds raised in sharecropping systems.
|
Age at first calving |
2 years 10 months-3 years |
|
|
Fertility rate |
66% |
|
|
Mortality rate |
||
|
|
- 1 year |
23% |
|
|
- adult |
5% |
|
|
- overall |
10-16,6% |
Source: BDPA (1984).
According to BPDA (1984), the main diseases reported in 1982 were rinderpest, bovine pleuropneumonia, brucellosis and tuberculosis. In 1986, the Central African Republic received FAO assistance under a disease control project entitled "Bovine Pleuropneumonia Control Project".
Gastro-intestinal parasites, mainly strongylus, account for 50% of deaths among young animals for which an infestation rate as high as 80% is registered. Trypanosome infestation account for 10% of deaths among young animals, 13% of adult mortality, 18% of abortions and 8% of total livestock mortality.
15.3.3.1 SHARECROPPING SYSTEM
The BDPA study carried out in 1984 also gave data on composition of herds maintained in the sharecropping system. As shown on Table 6, these reflect:
- a comparable number of males and females among calves not offtaken- a sharp decline in the proportion of young bulls (9.5% compared to 18% for heifers) in the 1-3-year-age class, indicating an early and selective offtake of males probably as early as age 2
- a proportion of bulls (5,6%) i.e. 1 bull out of 17.9 head corresponding to an average sharecropping herd size of 18 to 20 head
- an absence of oxen, due to the fact that producers are unfamiliar with the selection and management of breeding stock and therefore only raise entire males which are sometimes sold as work oxen.
Table 6. Composition of herds maintained in the sharecropping system (%).
|
Bulls |
5.6 |
26.7 |
|
|
|
- Young bulls |
9.5 |
26.7 |
|
|
- Male calves |
11.6 |
26.7 |
|
Cows |
42.3 |
73.3 |
|
|
|
- Heifers |
18.0 |
73.3 |
|
|
- Female calves |
13.0 |
73.3 |
|
Total |
100 |
|
|
Source: BDPA (1984).
15.3.3.2 RANCHING
Recent data on ranching are not available.
15.3.3.3 ANIMAL TRACTION
The number of work oxen in the Central African Republic in 1983 was 3132 pairs of oxen. The administrative subdistrict of Paoua alone accounted for 2160 out of the 2742 pairs in Ouham-Pendé Province.
Table 7 shows the distribution of work oxen by administrative district in 1983.
Table 7. Distribution of work oxen by administrative district, 1983.
|
Administrative district |
Pairs of oxen |
% of work oxen |
|
Ouham-Pendé |
2 742 |
87.5 |
|
Ouham |
190 |
6.1 |
|
Gribingui economique and Kémo Gribingui |
50 |
1.6 |
|
Ouaka and Basse-Kotto |
150 |
4.8 |
|
Total |
3 132 |
100 |
Source: BDPA (1984).
Ouham-Pendé and Ouham divisions together account for 93.6% of the total work oxen population, with a mean growth rate of 40% per year. The distribution of work oxen by breed in Ouham-Pendé administrative district in 1983 is shown in Table 8.
Table 8. Distribution of work oxen by breed in Ouham-Pendé, 1983 (%).
|
Breed |
Work oxen |
|
M'Bororo Zebu |
84.2 |
|
Fulani Zebu |
2.5 |
|
Baoulé Shorthorn |
9.9 |
|
N'Dama Shorthorn |
0.9 |
|
Zebu crossbred x Shorthorn |
1.0 |
|
Others |
1.5 |
|
Total |
100 |
Source: BDPA (1984).
The number of work oxen in Ouako and Basse-Kotto, however, is lower and its growth is limited.
The use of animal traction is, therefore, developing rapidly. Recent statistics available indicate that there were 3455 pairs of work oxen in 1985 (ACADOP, 1985).
The proportion is still 1 sheep for 30 inhabitants and 1 goat for 3 inhabitants. Herd offtake rate is estimated at 30%.
The sheep population includes all shades, from the Forest West African Dwarf type to the long-haired Sahel type. The goat population consists mainly of the West African Dwarf breed.
15.5.1 Research centres
15.5.2 Multiplication herds
15.5.3 Development projects
The Pasteur Institute in Bangui continues its research activities on ticks and tick-borne diseases.
The only station for which recent data were available was Bambari Station. In 1984, the station maintained 200 N'Dama and under the Second Livestock Development plan, this number should reach 354 head in five years. The objective of the station is to collect the available Shorthorns from former sharecropping schemes to redistribute them to M'Bororo Zebu producers who will cross them with their zebu to produce crossbred work oxen.
The most important development project in the Central African Republic is the Second Livestock Development Plan. The project, which was launched in 1986 and which was expected to be finalized in 1990, is funded by WB/IFAD/ADB/CAR and FED. It is an extension of FAO, FED and World Bank projects and covers the whole country. It comes under the General Directorate for Livestock and Animal Industries, and is mainly geared towards improving M'Bororo production. However, it also has three objectives relating to trypanotolerant cattle:
- to encourage, through Bambari Station, the use of Shorthorn x zebu crossbreds as work oxen;- to distribute an estimated 2372 trypanotolerant cattle among about 100 sharecropping herds and train producers;
- to produce 1200 young bulls during the initial year for animal traction. This number should reach 5600 head within five years.
Under the project, FAC will contribute towards the funding of a veterinary laboratory to be set up in Bangui (Marchés tropicaux, 1986). Finally, two integrated rural development projects currently being implemented include livestock production components. These are the Ouham-Pendé Integrated Rural Development Project financed by GTZ which aims to promote animal traction and the Integrated Rural Development Projects for Bamangui, Bangoran and Vakagan Administrative Districts which were launched in 1985 with UNDP funding.
In 1984, the Agricultural Production Development Office (BDPA) conducted a BDEAC feasibility study on a trypanotolerant cattle conservation project in the Central African Republic (BDPA, 1984). Although the project was not independently funded, some of the proposals were incoporated into the Second Livestock Production Development Plan.
In 1985, the Central African Republic received UNDP assistance under a project entitled Integrated Rural Development of Bamingui-Bangoran and Vakaga Administrative Districts.
ACADOP (Agence Centrafricaine de Développement de l'Ouham-Pendé). 1985. Courrier Rural, revue des groupes Villageois et Services de l'Agence Centrafricaine de Développement de l'Ouham-Pendé 3, Jan-Mar 1985.
BDPA (Bureau pour le développement de la production agricole). 1984. Crouail J C, Raveau J C and Bonifiglioli A. Etude de faisabilité du pro jet de sauvegarde des bovine trypanotolérants en République Centrafricaine. Vol. I Diagnostic; Vol. 2 Description du Programme retenu et Etude économique; Vol. 3 Etudes des alternatives. BDPA, Paris, France.
Desrotour J. 1981. Situation actuelle de l'élevage en République Centrafricaine - Proposition.
Desrotour J. 1982. L'introduction de Baoulé en République Centrafricaine. In: Proceedings of the Seminar on Trypanotolerance and Animal Production, 10-14 May 1982, Lomé and Avetonou, Togo. GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation), Eschborn, West Germany, pp. 101-110.
DGEIA (Direction générale de l'élevage et des industries animales). 1984. Rapport annuel 1983. Ministère du Développement rural.
Mawuena K. 1984. Report on a consultation mission on the control of tsetse and animal trypanosomiasis in CAR. FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), Rome, Italy.
République Centrafricaine, Service de l'élevage et des industries animales. 1983. Rapport annuel 1983.
UDEAC (Union Douanière des Etats d'Afrique Centrale). 1985. Elevage des petite ruminants en République Centrafricaine. Report of the seminar on small ruminant production in UDEAC member countries, 2-15 May 1985, Bata.
The cattle population continues to increase at a rapid rate mainly as a result of the influx of M'bororo Zebu from neighbouring countries. The cattle population increased from 1 115 000 head in 1977 to an estimated 2 150 000 head during the study period. On the other hand, the trypanotolerant cattle population has decreased from 22 000 in 1970 to 7400 head. However, renewed interest is being shown in these breeds and several studies on their conservation have been undertaken within the past few years.
Under the 2nd Livestock Production Development Plan which was launched in 1988, a number of activities geared at trypanotolerant breeds have been carried out. Promising results obtained hitherto indicate that the decline in numbers will soon come to an end and that production of these breeds will be resumed within the next few years.
