This volume contains papers and abstracts of the Third Biennial Conference of the African Small Ruminant Research Network. In addition to the keynote address, there are nine papers on Genetic Resources Enhancement and Utilisation, seven papers on Production Systems, Policy and Economics, six papers on Management and Health, 12 papers and Feeding Systems and 10 papers on Performance and Reproduction. Six poster abstracts covering the above topics add to the volume.

The study was conducted in Goma district of Jimma Zone of Ethiopia with the objectives of documenting the reasons why

farmers in coffee dominant mixed-farming systems of western Ethiopia keep small ruminants, and identifying the

constraints and opportunities for improvement of this sector. Results are based on diagnostic survey of 160 sample

households, group discussions and personal observation. The study district was stratified into three groups based on flock

distribution as: sheep dominating, goat dominating and mixed flock sites.

In developing regions with high levels of poverty and a dependence on climate sensitive agriculture, studies focusing on climate change adaptation, planning, and policy processes, have gained relative importance over the years. This study assesses the impact of farmer perceptions regarding climate change on the use of sustainable agricultural practices as an adaptation strategy in the Chinyanja Triangle, Southern Africa.

Farmers in mixed crop-livestock systems produce about half of the world’s food. In small holdings around the world, livestock are reared mostly on grass, browse, and nonfood biomass from maize, millet, rice, and sorghum crops and in their turn supply manure and traction for future crops. Animals act as insurance against hard times and supply farmers with a source of regular income from sales of milk, eggs, and other products.

Research review on sheep and goat production in the humid zone of West Africa, w. respect to animal population, production parameters, reproduction, forage production, supplementary feeding based on agro - industrial byproducts, disease incidence, particularly peste petits ruminants & helminthiasis, housing, and economic aspects of small and large scale production, w. proposals for further research.