ILRI at the 2014 African Livestock Conference and Exhibition (ALiCE2014): ILRI’s Danilo Pezo receives a gift in recognition of ILRI’s sponsorship role presented by Uganda Vice President Edward Ssekandi and Uganda Minister of State for Animal Industry Bright Rwamirama (photo credit: ILRI).

Article by Danilo Pezo, ILRI country representative in Uganda, and Evelyn Katingi, communications officer for the CGIAR Research Program on Livestock and Fish

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) participated actively in the African Livestock Conference and Exhibition (ALiCE2014), the theme of which was ‘Developing livestock value chains and improving livelihood in Africa‘, held at the Speke Resort & Conference Centre, in Kampala, Uganda, 18–20 June 2014.

Members of ILRI’s office in Uganda served on the conference’s hosting committee, which was led by Nicholas Kauta, director of Animal Resources of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industries and Fisheries (MAAIF). The opening speech and inauguration of the conference were made by Edward Kiwanuka Ssekandi, vice president of Uganda, who was also the conference’s guest of honour.

Danilo Pezo, ILRI’s country representative in Uganda, gave a keynote presentation in the inaugural session—Evolution of animal production in Africa and other emerging markets—on behalf of ILRI’s director general, Jimmy Smith.

Key messages delivered by ILRI’s Pezo
• In 2030, demand for animal-source foods in sub-Saharan Africa will double that of 2000
• While monogastric production (pigs and poultry) in Africa is in rapid transition to industrial systems, at least 30% of pig production will remain in smallholder hands by 2015
• Smallholder mixed crop-and-livestock farmers are competitive:
> 90% of pig production in Uganda is made by smallholders (there are great opportunities for increasing pig productivity if diseases such as Africa swine fever are better controlled and farmers gain better access to technology and market information)
> 1 million smallholders in Kenya keep Africa’s largest dairy herd

ILRI’s Emily Ouma, agriculture economist, and Michel Dione, post-doctoral fellow in animal health–epidemiology, were discussants in ALiCE2014 sessions on ‘Livestock Industry Sector Policies and Economics’, and ‘Animal Health and Welfare’, respectively.

Emily Ouma and Danilo Pezo talk to the Ugandan Vice-President Edward Ssekandi at ILRI’s exhibit at ALiCE2014 (photo credit: ILRI).

Ugandan Vice-President Ssekandi and Minister of State for Animal Industry Rwamirama heard about ILRI’s work, particularly two Uganda projects− Smallholder Pig Value Chains Development in Uganda (SPVCD) and Safe Food Fair Food (SFFF) − at ILRI’s exhibition stand. ILRI’s exhibit provided information on other work done by ILRI in different livestock systems and value chains in Africa. Information on multi-institutional CGIAR research programs that ILRI and its partners are participating in was also highlighted. Visitors to ILRI’s exhibit stand included members of the media and farmer groups and general public; national and local government officers; researchers and lecturers from African universities; and representatives of financial institutions and private-sector companies..

ILRI’s Tony Brenton-Rule, head of business development, and Azage Tegegne, manager of the ILRI-led Livestock and Irrigation Value Chains for Ethiopian Smallholders project, also participated in ALICE 2014 and were at hand to answer questions from visitors to ILRI’s exhibit.