To many, the Western grasslands still reflect the essence of this country: the vast plains that begin with prairie and bump up against the Rockies, home to herds of cattle and the cowboys that run them. Yet this indelible image belies the facts, as much of the nation’s rangeland has been degraded by overgrazing. Land … Continue reading
Author Archives: Peter Ballantyne (ILRI)
Could new farm animals provide a future for the livestock sector?
The future for livestock farmers could be pretty bleak if we believe everything we read in the press. Is meat really going to give you cancer? Is producing beef wrecking the rainforests and the planet? Are farting cows really a major contributor to climate change? Will millions starve if we don’t all become vegetarians? A … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Feeding / Animal Production / Climate Change / Crop residues / Crop-Livestock / Fodder / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Southern Africa
Livestock systems in Swaziland: Adapt or perish
A changing climate will prompt changes in behaviour across southern Africa. And when it comes to adaptation, Swazi farmer Bongani Phakathi is a frustrated man a few steps ahead of his neighbours. Traditionally, livestock in Swaziland grazes in the fields during winter, eating what’s left behind after maize and other crops are harvested. But Phakathi … Continue reading
Animal Breeding / Animal Feeding / Animal Production / Climate Change / ILRI / Kenya / Livestock / Livestock Systems
Better feed and genes could cut livestock emissions – but only if animals survive, farmers say
In the heart of Namori village, in the outskirts of Mwea Game Reserve in Eastern Kenya, Samuel Muturi Karobia chops fodder into manageable pieces for his two Friesian dairy cattle. Karobia bought the two animals three years ago after he sold off a herd of 11 locally bred cattle. It was a great decision, he … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Capacity Strengthening / Central Africa / Disease Control / East Africa / Emerging Diseases / Research / Uganda / Zoonotic Diseases
Makerere-North Dakota to tackle zoonoses and vector-borne diseases in Eastern and Central Africa
Under a new initiative by the United States Agency for International Development and Higher Education for Development, 11 innovative new partnerships between 22 universities in Africa and the United States have each been awarded up to US$1.1 million to address food security and other issues in Africa. These partnerships will maximize the resources of US … Continue reading
Tropentag examines animal production, feeding and and health
Earlier this week, the annual Conference on Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural and Natural Resource Management (TROPENTAG) was held in Zurich. Check out blog postings on animal science; view abstracts of the presentations and posters on animal breeding, husbandry and health, forages and feeding systems, and animal nutrition and supplementation … Continue reading
Immense demand for disease control in developing countries
The International Federation for Animal Health–Europe annual conference, held in June 2010 in Brussels, Belgium, was devoted to the role of the animal health industry in the context of the food security challenge in the 21st century. One of the speakers—Baptiste Dungu—highlighted the need for animal disease control in developing countries. Read more … (Vetsweb) Continue reading
Africa / Animal Production / Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livelihoods / Livestock / Pastoralism
Coping with drought – livestock insurance
In Kenya, the International Livestock Research Institute, working with partner organisations, has developed an insurance scheme for livestock farmers. The insurance enables farmers to protect their livelihood against the risk of drought. It works through satellite images, which can be used to measure the amount of grazing available in areas covered under the scheme. If … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Disease Control / East Africa / ECF / Livestock / Tanzania / Vaccines
Official approval for East Coast fever vaccine
A vaccine against East Coast fever – a disease which kills over 1 million cattle every year – has recently been officially registered in Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi, with Uganda also close to completing registration. This opens the way for private sector companies to take on vaccination delivery as a profit-making business. But how much … Continue reading
Animal Health / Animal Production / Climate Change / Emerging Diseases / Livestock Systems / Zoonotic Diseases
OIE examines links between animal production, climate change and emerging diseases
The detection of links between animal production systems around the world, climate change and the epidemiological evolution of animal diseases was the focus of a meeting organised by the OIE with experts from several continents. “The experts confirmed that there are correlations between the various factors linking animal production systems, human influence on the environment, … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 