Tropentag, September 19 - 21, 2012 in Göttingen "Resilience of agricultural systems against crises"

Strategies of El-Kababish Camel Herders to Cope with Adverse Climate Conditions in Sudan

¹University of Kordofan, Animal Science, Sudan
²University of Khartoum, Meat Production, Sudan
³Dalanj University, Dept. of Animal Production, Sudan
⁴Peace University, Animal Production and Range, Sudan
⁵Centre de Coop. Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Developpement (CIRAD), France
⁶Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Dept. of Animal Breeding in the Tropics and Subtropics, Germany

Abstract

The study aimed to study strategies of El-Kababish camel herders to cope with adverse climate conditions in North Kordofan State, Sudan. A total of 122 farmers owing 10,386 heads were randomly selected and a semi-structured questionnaire was applied in 4 different areas (Sodary, Jabra, Umgrfa and Almuwelih) dominated by camel herders. The results indicated that 59% of camel farmers were owners, while 41 % were shepherds. Illiteracy among camel owners and shepherds was 49 % and 56 %, respectively. Camel herders divided their camels in small herds with an average size of 85 ± 37.2 heads which were distributed into different regions as a means of avoiding diseases and nutritional crises. Herders tended to keep high percentages of breeding females (74.2 %) while breeding males amounted to 25.2 % in the different herds. The majority of herders (49.2 %) were found to rear camels only while some herders raise sheep and goats separately besides camels. Seasonal migration to the northern and southern parts of the state lasted on average 6 ± 1.2 months, depending on the availability of water and pasture. The watering interval was long during winter and short during summer which enabled wide utilisation of rangeland. Castration of males was practised for fattening purposes by 40 % of the farmers. The interviewees reported the presence of twelve camel diseases, and local knowledge was extensively practised to combat diseases.

Keywords: Camel, slimate conditions, El-Kababish herders, seasonal migration

Contact Address: Omer Abdelhadi, University of Kordofan, Animal Science, 716 Khartoum, Sudan, e-mail: abusin911yahoo.com