Tropentag, October 7 - 9, 2008 in Hohenheim "Competition for Resources in a Changing World: New Drive for Rural Development"

Characteristics of some Camel (Camelus dromedarius) Production Traits and Constraints in the Butana Area, Sudan

Sudan University of Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, Sudan

Abstract

This field survey was conducted in Butana area, northeastern Sudan, to study the main features and characteristics of the dromedary camel production traits and constraints in the study area. The study revealed that most of the camel palatable and preferred forage plants and trees had disappeared and were replaced by non-palatable forage plants whereas the few remaining camel preferred forage plants were now restricted only to remote inaccessible areas. The study also showed that the classical mode of nomadism among camel herders in Butana area was sharply declining, giving way to settlement as a new emerging mode of camel husbandry. Regarding the level of education among camel herders in Butana region, it was found that majority of older herders were illiterate while 47.8% of the younger ages were illiterate. The average size of the camel herder's families was found to be composed of seven persons with 57.2% of the family members was males while the remaining percentage (42.8%) was females. When the mean total annual income of the camel herding tribes was compared with the mean total annual expenditure, it was found that the income was lower than the expenditure for all the tribes except for the Bawadra group which was the only group practicing agropastoralism among all other camel keeping tribes in Butana area. Therefore, the study proposed that agropastoralism characterised by sedentary production system based on land ownership should be encouraged as the most suitable and profitable alternative available for the traditional camel nomads in Butana area of Sudan.

Keywords: Camel, Sudan, traits

Contact Address: Hamid Agab, Sudan University of Science and Technology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, Kuku Area, 13311 Khartoum North, Sudan, e-mail: hamidagabhotmail.com