CONSTRAINTS OF CAMEL (Camelus dromedarius) PRODUCTION IN NORTHERN KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

Camel (Camelus dromedarius) production stands as one of the major livestock kept by sedentary farmers in the study area. The study was designed to assess the major constraints of camel production in Northern Katsina state. Four local government areas; Baure, Dutsi, Mai'adua and Mashi were purposively selected. Two hundred structured questionnaires were used. From the results, all of them were males. Majority (44.50%) were within the age range of 41 50 years. Majority (80.00%) attended Qur'anic schools and only (3.00%) obtained secondary leaving certificates. Free range/extensive system of management are the major practice as indicated by the majority (94.50%) of the respondents. Extension services was very poor as indicated by the majority (94.00% ). However, majority (66.00%) uses ethno-veterinary medicine (EVM) as a source of medication while (30.50%) uses veterinary drugs and only (3.5%) uses other alternatives. Physical outlook were the only means of pricing. Majority (38.00%) sold their camels to meet-up the household demands. All of them indicated that camel production is a profitable practice. Despite all the constraints, majority (41.00%) uses camel for farming activities, most (30.50%) engaged camels in transportation and only (18.50%) sold their camels live.