The Dryland Husbandry Project (DHP) is an effort to bring together a variety of stakeholders in pastoral and agro-pastoral development, identify and develop strategies for addressing the crisis of African drylands in the twenties. A network approach will be used to raise issues of mutual concern to researchers, practitioners and, above all, pastoralists, with particular emphasis on sustainable service provision and water management. For further details of the research project, see the back page.
The Regional Office of DHP, OSSREA, has taken the initiative to launch a DHP Publications Series for the Dryland Husbandry Project with the view to exchange and share opinions and experiences on issues of dryland husbandry in the East African (including the Horn) sub-region in general and in the DHP areas in particular. The DHP Publications Series is a forum where researchers in the Dryland Husbandry Project and others inform the people at the grassroots level, the research and academic community, the policy makers, interested individuals and institutions the results of their action-oriented and participatory research. It is also a forum where trial-based research and results, para-vet training and experience, ethno-veterinary practices, workshop findings and the relevance and use of indigenous knowledge are presented and discussed.
This publication contains two research-based articles on Dryland Husbandry in Uganda. The first is on Research and Pastoral Resource Management and the second is an Economic Assessment in Pastoral Management. Both researches were conducted in the Dryland Husbandry Project area of Kazo County, Mbarara District, Uganda. The papers provide conditions of life of the agro-pastoral population and the economy of south-west Uganda. Participatory and action-oriented activities that look into self-sustaining development and issues of animal productivity in terms of milk yield, body condition, farm production costs and farm profitability in relation to the existing range conditions are also looked into. Although this publication is slightly delayed, we felt that its wide circulation could provide more information on the relatively drier parts of Uganda.
Tegegne Teka
