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From rural to urban: Exploring livestock farming practices in urbanizing landscapes

Wageningen University & Research, Dept. of Animal Sciences, The Netherlands

Abstract

Urbanisation in Kenya has surged in recent years, reshaping the agricultural landscape, and impacting livestock farming practices. This study investigated the spatial dynamics of livestock production systems across urban, peri-urban, and rural areas in Nakuru County, to assess the impact of urbanisation on resource use and nutrient cycling of livestock farming systems. Using stratified sampling, we examined farm size, herd size and diversity, feeding practices, manure management, and market access at 241 farms across four sub-counties: Nakuru East (highly urban), Naivasha (medium urban), Njoro (peri-urban), and Kuresoi North (rural). The total herd size, including all animal species present on the farm, was lower in the urban location of Nakuru East than in all other locations (P < 0.001). However, the numbers of individual species (i.e., dairy cattle, dairy goats and chickens) per farm did not differ among locations and were not significantly correlated to land size. On average, farmers kept 4.6 dairy cattle, 6.2 dairy goats, and 49.1 chickens if they had those species. In urban areas of Nakuru East, land scarcity led to limited space for forage production. The other areas prioritized land use for crop production over that for forage production for their livestock. Our findings indicate high stocking rates across all locations: urban location averaged 41.8 TLU/ha and peri-urban and rural locations averaged over 6 TLU/ha. The high stocking rates and low forage production explain the overall dependency on feed purchases. Agricultural supply stores were present at all locations, creating the opportunity for feed and other input purchases. Peri-urban and rural farms relied more on compound feeds, while urban farms incorporated specific energy and protein ingredients into their livestock diets. Manure management practices only differed slightly, with urban areas sometimes facing challenges of excess manure due to limited land. Overall, our research reveals that urbanisation has created a shift towards more intensive and market-oriented farming across all locations, while efforts are made to maintain resilience through the retention of diverse animal species and crops. Understanding these dynamics between urbanisation and livestock farming practices is crucial for developing sustainable agricultural production and marketing strategies that can accommodate the changing landscape of urbanizing areas.

Keywords: Feeding management, manure, spatial dynamics

Contact Address: Dagmar Braamhaar, Wageningen University & Research, Dept. of Animal Sciences, De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands, e-mail: dagmar.braamhaarwur.nl