Abstract :
[en] Sheep production in Burkina Faso supplies internal consumption and exportation markets, in countries of West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Benin). In this region, sheep have both economic and socio-cultural importance. While production is mainly located in the rural area, it is nevertheless noted that suburban livestock is developing, in particular around the capital city of Ouagadougou. Suburban production differs from rural livestock production, in particular by the actors involved, the economic orientation of production as well as by the availability of resources and production factors (services, inputs, land and capital). This context leads to the search for genetic resources favourable to this environment production, allowing for an optimisation of the activity. This implies a specific management of these resources. However, there is no information on how farmers in the suburban area manage their sheep genetic resources and on the sustainability of this management. Aiming to fill this information gap, this work focuses on (i) the characteristics of sheep farms in Ouagadougou suburbs and in neighbouring rural areas, (ii) the sheep traits, that have an impact on the their price, and finally (iii) the relative importance of some traits in the choice of breeding ram by breeders.
In order to characterise sheep farming in the suburban area of Ouagadougou in terms of socio-economic motivations, breeding practices, including genetic resources management, and in order to better understand the dynamics of the sector, a survey was conducted among 80 breeders in the area. The results showed that the sector essentially comprises two categories of livestock, with almost half (42.5%) of the breeders who can be described as traditional livestock keepers. The latter breeders are illiterate at 94.1% and have no non-agricultural economic activities (88.2%). They don’t have sheltered enclosures (70.6) and their sheep don’t receive systematic deworming (61.8%). They keep Mossi sheep (88.2%) and their main selection objective is rusticity (64.7%). The other category includes 50% of the livestock keepers. These tend to intensify production through the use of better infrastructures (enclosures, shelters), better feeding and systematic de-worming of animals (87.5%). They report keeping animals for generation of additional income and they practice crossbreeding. Their main selection objective is to improve the young growth and adult weight. Reproduction is generally characterised by a lack of mating control, especially during the dry season when the animals are allowed to graze freely. This phenomenon, in the context of the practice of crossbreeding by some breeders, creates negative externalities for breeders preferring the purity of their herd for rusticity motives. This also undermines the sustainability of the systems by an uncontrolled increase in the share of Fulani genetics in herds and the loss of sources of Mossi pure breed.
To investigate the possibility for the rural area to constitute a source for purebred Mossi sheep for the suburban area, another survey was conducted among 63 livestock keepers in the region of the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso. This study showed that sheep in this area are kept in sedentary systems and the Mossi sheep is the most encountered. A selective breeding strategy can be found for all breeders through the choice of males. The most cited selection objectives were the improvement of the adult weight (84.1%), the young growth (79.4%) and the maintenance of the rusticity (73%). In agreement with their goal of improving the weight and growth of animals, Mossi sheep females are often crossed with Fulani ram. These males are eliminated from the herd after the birth of the first crossbred lambs, while the latter are subsequently used for breeding. By removing the Fulani males after a short period of use, management appears to be better mastered and more sustainable compared to the suburban area, but leads to reconsider the notion of "purebred" in the region, as the management of breeders includes the mixed use of available breeds. However, with regard to the use of this area as a source of replacement females, if farmers appear to be willing to sell females to other farmers, the size of their herds doesn’t allow the sale of large numbers because of their own replacement needs. Added to this is the tendency expressed by some farmers to only sell to farmers they know, in hopes of reciprocity, hence for social rather than commercial motives.
Consumer market demand for different phenotypic traits was investigated through a monitoring of market transactions (revealed preference surveys) and surveys among sheep exporters and butchers. A total of 338 transactions were monitored over three different periods (the Muslim Eid al-Adha feast period, Christmas and New Year period and a neutral period). The interviews involved 25 exporters and 15 butchers, who were asked about the characteristics of the animals quested for and their purchase localities. Survey results showed that exporters have preferences for large-framed and good body conditions animals while local butchers mark their preferences for small-framed and low-fitness animals. Markets are categorised into collection, assembly and terminal markets through which animals pass before reaching the final consumer.
The revealed preferences have shown that phenotypic traits such as coat colour, weight and height at the withers have a highly significant (p<0.001) influence on prices. The weight has shown a non-linear, increasing influence on prices with increasing marginal income per kg of live weight. The purchase period, which is embedded with the purchase motive, also showed a highly significant (p<0.001) influence on prices, showing a superiority of the prices during the Eid al-Adha, but no difference between prices during the Christmas and New Year period and the neutral periods. Finally, the purchase period and coat colour showed highly significant interactions with the weight, the white-coloured animals and the Eid al-Adha period having better valorised the increase in weight. This study sheds light on the links between markets and demands for a certain orientation of sheep genetic resources. It is suggested, for example, that an improvement on the basis of higher weight and white colour criteria, which are more valued on the market, would rather favour a niche market linked to feasts periods and exports, and some breeders benefiting improved livestock resources. On the contrary, an improvement towards rusticity for small-framed animals would supply a more ordinary market, contributing to food security of households and an income generation for a wider range of sheep producers.
In this market context, a final study aimed at highlighting the trade-off that breeders are willing to make for the improvement of the different traits, whether "productive" or "adaptive". A stated choice experience, taking into account the traits such as weight, colour, susceptibility to diseases and the feed requirement, was carried out with 137 breeders. These farmers mainly use natural grazing (82.5% of the farmers involved). Crossbreeding is observed in 23.4% of farmers. The highest willingness to pay (WTP) was observed for resistance to diseases with 261€. However, among the farmer practicing crossbreeding, there was an apparent preference for susceptibility to disease with a WTP of 45€. A significant WTP was also revealed for the white coat colour (21€) then preferred to the bicoloured. The preference for large-framed animals compared to medium-framed ones was significant but relatively lower than preferences for white coat colour and resistance to diseases. On the other hand, farmers showed indifference for the transition from the medium body size to the small body size. For all traits, farmers practicing crossbreeding showed a preference for extreme levels compared to intermediate levels. Two trends emerged from this study: on the one hand, farmers willing to take the risk of reducing resistance to diseases in order to increase productivity; on the other hand, those with greater risk aversion, strongly willing to spend to gain resistance to diseases. The case of crossbreeding farmers suggests an interesting double preference, demonstrating a WTP for opposed traits being considered as typical of one breed or the other, then depreciating the intermediate traits indicating the possibility of a crossbred.
All the studies indicate that the management of sheep genetic resources in Ouagadougou's suburban area, although it does not really present threats to the different breeds in its present state, nevertheless shows signs, particularly from the market, that could hamper the sustained use of small-framed and environmentally adapted sheep. It is therefore necessary to find a strategy to better organise this management to make it sustainable. The establishment of a terminal crossbreeding scheme involving suburban and rural livestock farmers is a possible strategy. This nevertheless requires truly commercial livestock at the end of the scheme and means to overcome certain constraints raised in this thesis.
