Delays to report the outbreak of livestock diseases has contributed to increased disease prevalence countrywide. The effects of these range from loss of household income, increase of prices of animals and animal products, loss of revenue from exports and total misery. A report on the prevention and control of livestock health, and entomology (study of … Continue reading
As they recover from the worst drought in many years, Maasai pastoralists in Kenya’s south Rift Valley are adopting new habits to help them overcome future disasters. As the recent drought tested the coping ability of Maasai communities, the leaders of “group ranches” – large communal grazing areas, each with their own government-appointed chief – … Continue reading
For pastoralist communities like the well-known Maasai in Kenya, livestock keeping is more than just an important source of food and income; it’s a way of life that has been a part of their culture and traditions for hundreds of years. But, in the face of drought, loss of traditional grazing grounds, and pressure from … Continue reading
At this time of year, the Gadabeji Reserve in Niger should be refuge for the nomadic tribes who travel across a moonscape on the edge of the Sahara to graze their cattle. But the grass is meager after a drought killed off the last year’s crops. Now the cattle are too weak to stand and … Continue reading
Large numbers of farmers and enterprises are now on the edge of bankruptcy as blue-ear pig disease ravages 15 cities and provinces across the country, a senior livestock breeding expert said yesterday. “A considerable number of consumers have turned their backs on pork, including ‘clean products”, said deputy director of the Livestock Breeding Department Nguyen … Continue reading
This workshop by Biosciences eastern and central Africa – International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) brought together scientists based in sub-Saharan Africa, the United States, and the United Kingdom to foster scientific collaborations with the potential to create new pathways … Continue reading
After more than 25 years of sojourn in the United States of America and Latin America that saw her garner numerous professional and state honours for an exceptionally fulfilling career as a scientist, Segenet Kelemu, executive director of the Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa (BecA) Hub decided it was time to go home. At BecA … Continue reading
So here’s an odd one to ponder for the weekend – could cows have mobile phones? Last week I got to stay on a dairy farm for the weekend (city kids need to smell some country air from time to time). Whilst there, we got a tour of the milking parlour and, even though I’m … Continue reading
Farmers in Sorsogon province (the Philippines) have recognized goat raising as environment friendly and profitable farming venture. Goats are very popular among Filipinos because they require low initial capital investment, fit the small hold farm conditions, and multiply fast,” PCARRD explained in its investment briefer. “Culturally, goats are integral to every special occasion such as … Continue reading
America’s dairy farmers could soon find themselves in the computer business, with the manure from their cows possibly powering the vast data centers of companies like Google and Microsoft. While not immediately intuitive, the idea plays on two trends: the building of computing centers in more rural locales, and dairy farmers’ efforts to deal with … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 