Introduction Shortage of feed especially during the dry season is considered as one of the major problems of livestock farmers in developing countries. In Nigeria, the Northern farmers are predominantly cattle rearers who need regular supplies of forages; it is the practice of the cattle herdsmen to move towards the Southern part of the country where there is longer period of raining season with available pastures for their livestocks. In the course of such movement of livestocks, there are clashes between the herdsmen and crop farmers. Such clashes has aggravated division in the country, so much that open grazing was banned in certain parts of Nigeria and Ghana. Restraint of such livestocks in their natural environment with long period of drought with poor quality forages will further deplete their productivity. Tarawali et al (1983) reported that many animals died of starvation during the dry season due to limited availability of all year round feed resources and high cost of conventional feeds. Though grass and forage form greater proportions of ruminate feed Akinfemi, A.
1. Introduction Growth in human population coupled with the scarcity of resources to meet the demands of the population has been the major challenge in developing countries. Increasing demand for animal protein and the ever-increasing competition for land resources calls for major structural changes in the agricultural sector, which is the major occupation, subsistence and income in the tropics (Chukwuka et al., 2005). Opara et al., (2005) noted that the threat of land degradation, rising demand in animal products should be met by an increase in animal productivity and by further increase in animal numbers, which means increase in production per animal through changes in animal genotypes, better feeding and management. Furthermore, it is expected that as the human population continues to increase, the demand for food will also increase. Therefore, most of the fertile land presently used as range will be cropped. At present, there is a considerable under-utilization of a vast amount of non-conventional feed resources, including the waste materials generated from animal production and processing of food for human consumption (Manhadevan, 1981). Adegbola (1976) had earlier drawn attention to a general lack of awareness of the possible uses of crop residues and other agro-industrial by-products for animal feeding. Wilson and Brigstocke (1981) suggested that the cause of this situation was due to lack of information on their compositions and nutritive values, possible variations in composition, logistics, problems of availability, seasonality of supply and need for transport and processing. Prevention of environmental pollution is a global phenomenon at present (Falaye, 1988). This is particularly relevant for the perpetual sustenance of man and other living stock on earth. The rapid rate of urbanization, coupled with intensive food production and processing of wastes, are Akinfemi, A.
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