The Roughage Problem and Solutions in Animal Feeding in Chad

Chad, a landlocked country in Central Africa with an area of 1,284,000 km², is divided into three major agro-climatic zones: the Saharan zone (47% of the area), the Sahelian zone (43% of the area), and the Sudanian zone (10% of the area). In the last census 2018, the agricultural land amounted to about 502,380 square kilometers. Agriculture accounts for two-thirds of the economy in Chad and livestock remains one of the economic backbones with cattle population being the most predominant. Pigs and chicken population are relatively small. Milk producing animals increased from 1.16 million heads in 1971 to 3.95 million head in 2020 growing at an average annual rate of 2.75%. Roughage shortage, both in quantity and quality, remains the main problem of animal production in Chad. The use of roughage in the nutrition of ruminant animals is of great physiological and economic importance. In order to produce quality roughage, it is important to rehabilitate the available meadow pasture, increase the roughage planting areas, and enhance forage conservation through silage and hay making. This review discusses the strategies to get quality and cheap roughage in order to avoid future challenges in livestock production in Chad.