Rigo
Beleta is taking one of his oxen to the market.
Selling an ox is always difficult for Rigo,
but at least this time it is for a happy
occasion: one of his sons is getting married
and Rigo needs the cash to pay for the wedding.
Last year Rigo also sold cattle, but at that
time it was for
a different reason. His sorghum and maize harvests
failed and he needed money to buy food for his family.
.
Rigo
Beleta is from the Maale tribe. His
ancestors migrated with their herds and depended
solely on their animals for their livelihood.
But Rigo settled down and started a farm. However,
a large part of his income still comes from
animals. Every year during the dry season Rigo
takes his oxen, cows and goats from their usual
forra (grazing area) near his homestead to
areas with enough water and pasture. At the
start of the rainy season, around February,
he returns home with his livestock. Most animals
go to their usual forra, but Rigo will bring
a few cows and goats back to his homestead.
The milk, butter and meat will help to feed
his family during the coming months, when his
crops are not yet ready for consumption, and
prices of maize and sorghum tend to be high.
Fortunately Rigo has four oxen to plough the
land, and with the help of his ten children
he is able to cultivate almost one hectare.
The sorghum and maize he grows supply around
40% of the staple food for his family. He has
to buy another 40% at the local market with
his cash income from the sale of livestock.
The family meals are completed with the honey
from the Rigo’s beehives, the surplus
of which he sells.Tsadaleh, his wife, makes
butter, which she sells at the market. Another
source of income is araki, a spirit made from
maize or sorghum.
Rigo prays for a good belg season with timely and plentiful
rain. Last year the rains were not only late, but also
very scattered and erratic. His crops failed. He was
left with only empty maize stalks which he fed to his
animals. His livestock suffered because of the lack
of good pasture and fodder, and produced very little
milk. All agro-pastoralists in the area had a bad maize
and sorghum harvest, so prices on the local market
were high. Rigo had to sell half of his cattle in order
to put food in the many mouths in his family. He did
not get a lot of money for his animals; they were in
poor condition because of the drought and livestock
prices were low. Within a few months Rigo saw his livestock—his
life savings—vastly diminished. It will take
him years to build up his herd to the size it was before
last year’s drought.
| INIDICATORS
OF EMERGING CRISIS |
RAINFALL Late
or irregular rains between February and April
are a major threat to Rigo’s livelihood.
Crop failure means less food supply for his
family, so the family will have to rely more
on market supply. Though his animals will
be in poor condition due to lack of water
and good grazing, Rigo will have to sell
more livestock than usual. Since the whole
area will be affected similarly, livestock
prices will fall while staple food will be
high.
LIVESTOCK
DISEASES Epidemics
of livestock
diseases, like
trypanosomiasis,
have an impact
on Rigo’s
cattle, which
is his life savings.
When livestock
diseases hit
his herd, Rigo’s
ability to cope
with a crisis
will be diminished
for years. |
| POSSIBLE
INTERVENTIONS |
MARKET
ACCESS The supply of
goods from outside the area to the woreda
market stagnates during the rainy season
when the road to Arba Minch is not accessible.
The prices of ‘imported’ goods—including
staple food—tend to rise during
this season, while prices of local products
drop. Prices would fluctuate less with
better, year-round access to Arba Minch.
LIVESTOCK
DISEASE CONTROL A
programme
to control
trypanosomiasis—the
most common
livestock
disease in
the area—would
help Rigo
and others
in his community
to preserve
and build
up their
herds.
BANKING SERVICES If Rigo could keep a cash deposit
at a local bank, his income and wealth would be
affected less by fluctuations in livestock prices.
CONFLICT
MEDIATION Livestock
migration is limited, because of conflicts
with neighbouring tribes. In case of
severe drought, Rigo is not always
able to find good grazing areas for
his cattle during the dry season. |
|
