Impact of the Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program on Livestock Population and Production in the Southern Marshes of Iraq

: The USAID Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program (IMRP) promoted the application of two promising initiatives tested from 2004 to 2006: (1) the introduction of alfalfa and maize fodder to feed and improve the nutrition of buffalo and (2) the creation of a veterinary service to increase livestock production and health. The livestock sector in the marshlands has seen dramatic improvement since IMRP ended in 2006. These changes are across the board in the absolute number of livestock (from 66,700 heads in 2006 to 111,525 heads in 2017) and in their increasing diversity (buffalo were 74.33% of all livestock in 2006 but decreased to 70.33% in 2017). Buffalo, specifically, had greater birth weight (40 kg in 2006 and 45.6 kg in 2017), greater daily growth rates (0.3 kg in 2006 and 1-1.25 kg in 2017), higher daily milk yields (8.81 kg/day in 2006 and 9.69 kg/day in 2017), and longer lactation periods (150 days in 2006 and 238 days in 2017). There have been accompanying advances in the closely related meat and dairy markets. Live weight and market prices for buffalo and cattle have increased three-to four-fold. Rising daily milk yields also sparked the creation of cottage industries to produce dairy products using higher fat buffalo milk. These changes all point to an increasingly healthy and dynamic livestock sector in the marshlands. However, other anticipated changes in the marshlands did not meet expectations. In 2006, IMRP predicted a strong shift away from the historical dominance of buffalo ownership to a more diversified pattern of ownership that included the relatively newly introduced cattle and a rapid increase in sheep holdings, making the latter the dominate animal. Instead, buffaloes have continued to be the vastly most numerous animals owned in the marshlands. In 2017, they ranged from 65 to 75% of all livestock holdings. Greater access to reflooded marshes by buffalo herders and increased financial earnings realized from meat and dairy production may help to explain the continued reliance on buffalo ownership. IMRP’s introduction of a veterinary service dedicated to working in the marshlands villages was far less successful but highly regarded by Marsh Arabs, being the first time that the services were offered in the marshes.


INTRODUCTION
Several factors have caused the decline and deterioration of the buffalo population in Iraq's marshes, with the first Gulf War, the consequent economic blockade and the removal of supports on feed for breeders playing a major role [1]. The main cause was the systematic drainage of the marshes, which had a disastrous impact on life in the marshes [2]. A study of Iraq's Ministry of Agriculture [3] indicated that the number of buffalo decreased by 57.3% from 150,000 in 1990 to 64,000 in 1999. That change is associated with a drastic decline in production [4]. Buffalo population is distributed as follows: 6.8% in the north, 41.0% in central Iraq and 52.2% in the south. Buffaloes are mostly bred (98%) as low input production systems [5].
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) [6] found that production, animal health, dairy processing, and marketing were all poor, as the local population, commonly called Marsh Arabs, adjusted to their newly imposed conditions. The main reasons for *Address correspondence to this author at the Animal Production Department, College of Agriculture, University of Basra, Basra, Iraq; Tel: 00964 7801009823; E-mail: asaad.yheia@gmail.com the poor performance of this livestock sector were inadequate feed supply for the animals and the consequent poor body condition [7], unreliable and/or inaccessible veterinary services [8], poor collection and processing services, and inaccessible market infrastructure.
The 2006 USAID Iraq Marshlands Restoration Program (IMRP) assessment of the sector revealed that buffaloes and their dairy production required immediate attention and improvement. Issues related to processing and marketing could be addressed once production levels increased. IMRP attempted to revitalize buffalo farming and dairy production in the marshlands by focusing on two of the most promising initiatives: (1) introducing and encouraging the cultivation of alfalfa and sorghum to improve animal health and nutrition and increase birth rates and (2) initiating a veterinary service for recently graduated veterinarians to improve access to veterinary services and provide meaningful employment to unemployed and under-utilized young professionals in the livestock sector.
In 2006, IMRP identified what it is called a "dramatic shift" in livestock populations in the marshes from water buffalo to sheep herding, which largely coincided with the drainage of the marshes. With the displacement of most of the indigenous people into drained areas between 1980 and 1992, animal owners could not care for their buffaloes. Water buffalo numbers decreased to low levels throughout the area, except for inside Hammar Marsh, beyond Garmit Beni Said, where small communities of Marsh Arabs lived traditionally on islands where they kept farming a high number of water buffalo.
Interviews with marsh dwellers suggested that about half of the families in Huwaizah and Hammar marshes and two-thirds of those in Nahr Al-Aaz owned buffaloes, but the number of animals were small. Families with water buffaloes generally had four animals in Nahr Al-Aaz, two in Huwaizah, and one in Hammar. Otherwise, farmers kept Arabi breed sheep and cattle which were a cross between Friesian and Al Jenoubi (literally, "southern") breeds, thus well adapted to the local climate with higher milk production.
The main objectives of the present study were to evaluate the effects of two of the most promising initiatives from IMRP: feeding and nutrition of buffaloes by introducing alfalfa and maize fodder, and providing a veterinary service to support buffalo farming and promote production and health.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The number of animals and their species were collected from data kept by the departments of the Ministry of Agriculture in Basrah, Maysan and Dhi-Qar governorates.
The 2018 study chose areas adjacent to the marshlands known for agricultural production and livestock breeding (Table 1 and Figure 1). Samples of milk were recorded weekly by the staff of agriculture department in the three districts. We selected only the full and complete records from 2012-2017 of the number of buffalo shown in Table 1. The total number  Figure 1: Study Sites map, as Shown in Table 1.
of animals was 1,535 milking buffaloes with 9,210 milking records. These data were used to calculate the daily milk yield, total annual milk yield and lactation period (total annual milk yield was equal to daily milk yield times lactation period of each animal).
In addition, we used detailed structured questionnaires to collect information from 103 buffalo owners (987 milking buffaloes and their calves) from the buffalo breeding areas during continous visits by the impact assessment team. All cattle and sheep breeders were included in the survey. For cattle, the total number of milking cows and calves was 156. We also included, six, four, and five sheep herds in this survey from Maysan, Basrah and Dhi-Qar, respectively. Sheep and their lambs numbered 215 head. The questionnaires included the total number of animals, number of milking animals, daily milk yield, number of milking/day, birth weight, calf gender, type and quatity of available feed, feed consumption. These quationnaires were done to assess and verify the accuracy of the agriculture department records.
Mean birth weight was calculated from the above data collected through our questionnaires. We recorded weights from several slaughterhouses within each studied districts during 2018. The number of slaughtered buffalo, cattle, calves and lambs was 420, 235 and 612, respectively. The daily growth rate of buffalo, cattle, and sheep was calculated as the difference between market weight and birth weight divided by the age at slaughter. The range of age at marketing was 8-10 for buffalo, 10-12 for cattle, and 6-9 months for sheep.

Livestock Diversity
Buffalo continue to be the most numerous animals reared in the marshlands in all three governorates. In 2017, they ranged from 65 to 75% of all animal holdings. And while those percentages have somewhat decreased since 2006, the actual number of buffaloes has increased by as much as 17,000 head. In fact, the number of all animals, including cattle, sheep, and goats, has increased. Table 2 displays the number of each livestock in marshland areas in Basra governorate. It shows a steady increase in all of the animals. It also confirms the continued dominance of water buffalo ownership by the local inhabitants.
However, the percentage of buffalo in Basra decreased from 2016 to 2017, although their total number increased by roughly 10,000. There has been a decided shift to cattle ownership. Both buffalo and cattle consume the same feed and in roughly similar quantity, but cattle do not need period of time in the water, as buffalo do and produce more milk, especially when local cattle are crossed with Holstein. Table 3 shows the number of livestock in the Dhi-Qar governorate marshlands over more than a decade. Buffaloes had the largest percentage of the total population, which fluctuated from 66% in 2013 to 76% from 2014 to 2017. There was a sharp increase in buffalo holdings from 2014. It is likely related to the Among the three southern governorates that have marshlands, Basra has a larger number of animals than Dhi-Qar and Maysan. A total number of livestock in Basra was nearly 79,000 head in 2017, and in Dhi-Qar and Maysan 40,000 and 25,000, respectively. We were surprised to learn that the number of buffalos has remained so large in the marshlands, despite water quality and water quantity issues. In 2006, we did not expect that it would be the case

Reproduction and Calf Performance
Considerable research has confirmed the relationship between protein nutrition on one hand and the reproduction, pregnancy and lactation of livestock on the other, particularly consuming high protein legumes like alfalfa. High protein diets stimulate live weight gain or reduce live weight loss [9], while increasing ovulation rates [10], placental size [11], birth weight [12] and survival [13]. The increased birth weight possibly lowers the incidence of retained placenta, while milk yield and milk production efficiency are increased [14]. Protein deficiency in early life also prevents the stunting of final body size in adulthood [15].
In general, the number of calves born during the lifetime of a buffalo cow in the marshlands has increased with improvements related to to alfalfa and sorghum cultivation. The calving interval for buffalo, which has been historically high at 450 days, is shorter despite the harsh environment, poor feed supply, high temperatures, and degraded water quality. There has also been an increase in the health and growth rate of calves, especially during their first months due to the increased volume of milk that the calf can suck.

Daily Milk Yields
IMRP found that daily milk yields for buffalo varied within the marshlands. Yields in 2004 ranged from about seven kilograms in Huwaizah and five in Hammar and Al Chebayish / Central marsh, to ten in Nahr Al Aaz. The difference was possibly due to the fact that the forage and feed for buffalo were more abundant in Nahr Al Aaz than elsewhere. In the marshes, where the daily yields were low, and with only 150 lactation days per year, the annual yield was between 750 and 1070 kilograms. This compares negatively with the annual milk yield of 1342 kilograms recorded in Iraq outside the marshlands [16]. The average annual milk yield was 32 to 46% higher than what IMRP had found in the marshes at essentially the same time.
Buffalo milk yields in the marshlands have improved since then. Daily milk yields are roughly the same in Maysan, Dhi-Qar, and Basra areas where IMRP worked. And all three show a similar, steady increase of almost 2% from 2012 to 2017. These yields would place the buffalo daily milk production in the marshes highly ranked in the world, but still well below Italian buffalo that produce up to 18 kilograms of milk daily.
Interestingly and unfortunately, Nahr Al Aaz, which was recorded with the highest daily milk production in 2004, is suffering from a severe water shortage. Many inhabitants have left the area and moved to the vicinity of Al Chebayish on the edge of Central marsh in Dhi-Qar governorate where water is more plentiful. Previously, Nahr Al Aaz was heavily populated by marsh dwellers, who owned large herds.
The data presented in Table 7 and Figure 4 were provided by the agricultural offices in the three governorates and in interviews conducted by staff of the College of Agriculture in the University of Basra between 2012 and 2017. These research sites included areas in or near the marshes where alfalfa and sorghum were detected by IMRP in 2004, such as Al Adil in Maysan governorate, which has a high concentration of the two crops.

Lactation or Milking Period
In 2006, IMRP found that the lactation or milking period for water buffalo in the marshlands was 150 days [16]. This compares unfavorably with the lactation period of 255 days recorded in Iraq outside the   marshlands [17]. The lactation period elsewhere in Iraq was 255 days or 70% higher than in the marshes [18].
In 2018, the annual lactation period for water buffalo in the three southern governorates was 237 or 238 days, with an increase of 58% during the past 12 years. Table 8 indicates that this increase has been incremental, with small but steady increases of one to four days from year to year between 2012 and 2017. This would mean a roughly 90 kilogram increase in milk production per lactation period for each buffalo. As the length of the lactation period is closely tied to the quality of feed and health of the animal, we think it is fair to conclude that the expansion of alfalfa and sorghum cultivation in the marshlands is at least partly, if not greatly, responsible, for the change.

Total Annual Milk Yield
When calculating milk yields over the lactation period, we found a steady increase from 2012 to 2017. Regression analysis was used to determine the association of yield and time. Our data showed a very accurate predictive rate of 99%, which can be used to evaluate different plans to improve buffalo milk production.
The three governorates all experienced a linear increase in milk yield over the period: 50.9 kilograms in Basra, 53.7 kilograms in Maysan, and 67.98 kilograms in Dhi-Qar. The overall average increase in milk yield was 59.05 kilograms. This increase suggests a dynamic improvement in milk yields in the marshlands, which we believe can be attributed in part to IMRP's initiatives 12 to 14 years earlier when alfalfa and sorghum were first introduced into the area.

Financial Benefits
In calculating the monetary benefit of milk production improvement, the price of one kilogram of raw milk is about USD 1.25. The net profit from selling of each buffalo every year is about USD74 (59.05-   kilogram x USD 1.25= USD 73.82). The total profit will depend on the number of buffalos kept by each breeder. The number of animals per herd has also increased dramatically since IMRP closed in 2006. Table 10 calculates daily gross income of a smallscale commercial dairy industry on the margins of the marshes in Bayt Wafi of USD 1,140 from dairy products using 750 kilograms of raw milk. One operator estimated that her production costs, including producing her own milk or buying it from others, transportation, labor, shop, equipment and running costs, were about USD 900. That leaves about USD 240 net profit.