ASSESSMENT OF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS OF CAMEL POPULATIONS UNDER PASTORAL MANAGEMENT IN SOUTHERN OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

The major objective of the study was assessing production systems of camel populations in Southern Oromia. A total of 240 (120 from Borena and Guji Zone) households were selected randomly for interview. As majority of the respondents noticed that, the camel populations showed an increasing trend from time to time. Likewise most of the respondents replied that overall goat population was indicating increasing trend in lowland areas of the country. This is because; the small ruminants are easily managed unlike cattle; and also they adapt lowland environment. it is anticipated that the population of camel will increase in the near future. All pastoralists in this study respond that as they like increasing the number of camel heads in their herd for future in order to manage the futures food security. The reason for the wishes of the pastoralists in increasing the camels’ number in the herd is that; they are physiologically and physically surviving animals of arid and semi-arid areas of the country and abroad. The major purpose of keeping camels across the study area was primarily to be used as a multi-purpose according to response of the pastoralists. Camels were good for a numbers of traits for those were the part of this study; like heat tolerance, tolerance to feed shortage and resistance to internal parasites than other livestock species in marginal areas. Thus care should be given to exploit the productive traits of camels to contribute on current demand for camel and