Livestock - cattle, sheep and goats - are vital for Ethiopian agriculture. The animals feed mainly on crop residues and harvested fields. However, this forage can scarcely satisfy their maintenance needs. The animals do not produce as much milk and meat as they could, and the oxen are sometimes so poorly fed that they have too little strength to pull the plough. In order to improve animal performance, high-quality forage is urgently needed. The Fourth Livestock Development Project (FLDP, 1987-4) of the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) therefore focused on forage improvement strategies suitable for smallholders. Here I report on the experiences we have made with these strategies in Bihar Dar District (1700-2300 m above sea level) in West Gojjam Zone, which lies beside Lake Tana. Rainfall is about 800-1200 mm per year, mainly from June to September. Average farm size is 1.5-2 ha. About 95 % of the farm households keep cattle, on average 3 head per household, as well as some sheep and goats. The results are promising in terms of better animal nutrition, higher livestock yields, enhanced soil fertility and erosion control. Multiplication of forage legume seed has played a large role in this success
