Impact of climate change on livestock productivity: a review. (Special Issue: Covid-19 and climate change.)

Madziga, I. I.

Climate change is a long-term shift in the statistics of the weather such as temperature, radiation, and wind and rainfall characteristics of a particular region. Sustainability in livestock production system is largely affected by climate change. A disproportion between metabolic high temperature production inside the animal body and its dissipation to the surroundings results to heat stress under high air temperature and humid climates. The foremost reaction of animals under thermal weather is an increase in respiration rate, rectal temperature and heart rate. The anticipated rise in temperature due to climate change is likely to aggravate the heat stress in livestock, adversely affecting their productive and reproductive performance and even death in extreme cases. The predicted negative impact of climate change on agriculture would also adversely affect livestock production by aggravating the feed and fodder shortages. The paper mainly reviews the impacts of climate change on livestock productive performance.