Limitations to livestock productivity in mixed farming systems

Livestock farming contributes significantly to the livelihoods of people in low and middle-income countries. Livestock and livestock products are sold to gain household income, contributes to food and nutrition security by providing protein in a form of meat, milk and eggs, provides traction and returns manure to the soil for future crops in mixed systems. However, changes in the climate affects the livelihoods of people who depend on livestock in the developing world through hampering livestock productivity. High temperatures and altered rainfall distribution causes shifts on rain-fed forage leading to seasonal scarcity of feed and fluctuations in quantity and quality of feed, which in turn affects livestock nutrition, health and eventually productivity