This article describes the production system in the rural district of Boji in Western Wellega in Ethiopia. Data was gathered from surveys, which are part of a research project on Contagious Bovine Pleuropnemnonia (CBPP). The observed system very closely combined an essentially cereal-based agriculture and livestock farming. The farm characteristics, cultivation and livestock sub-systems as well as livestock practices were examined in detail. The farms were of small size and were characterised by a subsistence economy. The cultivation practices in Boji were similar to other equivalent agro-ecological zones in the Ethiopian highlands. The main objective of livestock farming was the use of oxen for draught power. The greatest strain on the system was linked to demographic pressure. The special feature of the livestock practices was the widespread use of animal exchanges between farmers, a possible risk factor in the spread of (CBPP) in this region.