Better days are dawning for farmers faced with problems of pasture for their livestock, now that scientists majoring in crop production research are improving on the nutritional content of pasture here. The scientists from the National Crop Resources Research Institute at Namulonge Department of Forage Research Programme are currently conducting research on various types of … Continue reading
A succulent, wild-growing cactus that has been widely dismissed as a noxious weed could sustain African livestock during drought, according to scientists at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI). A paper by John Kang’ara and Josiah Gitari, animal nutritionists at KARI, concludes that Opuntia species — the prickly pear or paddle cacti — have extreme … Continue reading
Resilient disease-resistant, ‘ancient’ West African cattle among breeds at risk of extinction as imported animals supplant valuable native livestock Urgent action is needed to stop the rapid and alarming loss of genetic diversity of African livestock that provide food and income to 70 percent of rural Africans and include a treasure-trove of drought- and disease-resistant … Continue reading
If you’re a typical westerner, you ate nearly 100 kilograms of meat last year. This was almost certainly the costliest part of your diet, especially in environmental terms. The clamour for people to eat less meat to save the planet is growing ever louder. “Less meat = less heat”, proclaimed Paul McCartney in the run-up … Continue reading
The Maasai Mara has lost almost 60 per cent of its large animals, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme. A continent-wide study, released last week found big mammal populations inside national parks, including Kenya’s Maasai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti to have declined by an average of 59 … Continue reading
In the bread and rice baskets of South Asia, cereal production has stalled. For over a decade, annual growth rates in rice and wheat production have failed to reach even one per cent, trailing far behind population growth. The results have been devastating: high food prices, increased poverty and rates of child malnutrition ranging from … Continue reading
Climate change is expected to bring greater extremes in weather conditions, but climate models disagree about which problems – droughts, flooding, temperature increases – are most likely in much of northern, central and western Africa. In east Africa, however, the models largely agree: dry areas will suffer more prolonged droughts and wet areas will see … Continue reading
The Kenya government has offered office facilities to the Consultative Group of International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Consortium Board. “President Mwai Kibaki made the pledge when he met and held discussions with the CGIAR Consortium Board Vice Chairman Mr Carl Hausmann who paid him a courtesy call at his Harambee House office on Monday.” During the talks, president Kibaki assured the … Continue reading
Tracking the right evidence to demonstrate impact is a conundrum common to many development projects. Providing evidence for change proves particularly challenging for projects where outcomes are unpredictable and changes that result from innovation processes are not immediately visible and are difficult to quantify. However, despite these challenges, adopting a ‘learning by doing’ approach and … Continue reading
Over the next two decades, rapid urbanisation and rising incomes in the developing world are expected to bring about a livestock revolution. In India, this boom in the production of animal products will be driven by a demand for milk, which is projected to increase by more than 80 million tons over 15 years. Smallholder … Continue reading
