Last week, African Ministers responsible for animal resources met in Uganda. The theme of the meeting was “improving access to markets for African animal resources to significantly contribute to economic growth and reduction of poverty.” H.E. Rhoda Peace Tumusiime , Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission opened the meeting, arguing … Continue reading
Author Archives: Peter Ballantyne (ILRI)
EU and AU IBAR sign three financing agreements for support of Africa’s livestock sector
The European Union (EU) and the African Union- Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) have signed financial agreements totalling Euros 28.8 million to support three new projects. The signing ceremony took place on 13 May 2010 at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe, Uganda where the 8th AU Conference of Ministers responsible for Animal … Continue reading
Burkina Faso: Feed the cows
Erratic rains last year in Burkina, where animal husbandry is the main livelihood in many regions, resulted in widespread shortages of water and pasture. Aid workers and breeders say the poor condition of local livestock – animals that have not already migrated in search of pasture – is hitting families’ food security. The livestock families … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Feeding / Animal Production / Dairying / East Africa / Fodder / Forages / ILRI / Kenya
Napier grass diseases a threat to Kenya’s dairy sector
Kenya’s dairy industry is facing a major threat due to the outbreak of stunt and smut diseases affecting napier grass in Central and Western provinces. The dairy industry is the largest in East Africa producing annually about 85 to 90 million litres of milk equivalent per capita based primarily on well established market oriented smallholder … Continue reading
Physicians, veterinarians must close ranks to fight diseases affecting public health
A medical consultant at the Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Dr. Olupelumi Adebiyi, has solicited for more cooperation between physicians and veterinarians in the country in order to tackle the spread of diseases effectively, espcially zoonotic diseases.He made this demand in Ibadan when delivering a lecturer titled” “One world, One Health: Moore cooperation … Continue reading
Africa / Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / French / Kenya / Pastoralism
ACTED améliore les capacités de résistance au changement climatique dans l’ouest du Kenya
ACTED répond à la crise alimentaire dans l’est du Pokot en conduisant des opération de soutien aux moyens de subsistance et de protection des ressources naturelles dans le district de Churo, avec le soutien financier d’OFDA et d’USAID. Après 9 mois de projet, les communautés ont grandement amélioré leur resistance à la sécheresse et à … Continue reading
Southern Africa academics visit London institute to create new ‘One-health’ courses
Academics from Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia visited course directors and researchers at two of LIDC’s member Colleges—the Royal Veterinary College and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. The discussions from their meetings during their two-week stay will influence the curricula for courses on analytical epidemiology, and molecular biology of infectious diseases, which will … Continue reading
Sustaining global surveillance and response to emerging zoonotic diseases
H1N1 (“swine flu”), SARS, mad cow disease, and HIV/AIDS are a few examples of zoonotic diseases-diseases transmitted between humans and animals. Zoonotic diseases are a growing concern given multiple factors: their often novel and unpredictable nature, their ability to emerge anywhere and spread rapidly around the globe, and their major economic toll on several disparate … Continue reading
Africa / Asia / Climate Change / Livestock / Research
Colorado State University to study impact of climate change on livestock
Colorado State University has received $15 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development to manage a Collaborative Research Support Program (CRSP). The focus of the five-year, multi-disciplinary research and training program is to adapt livestock systems to climate change in the semi-arid regions of Africa and Central Asia. Read more … (Colorado State University) … Continue reading
Africa / Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livestock Systems / Markets
What do NASA, insurance giants and Kenya have in common?
Cows. (No, really.) Kenya’s International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) recently cracked the code on a formula that could change cattle-herders’ lives — or at least line their pockets. The single biggest risk cattlemen in Kenya’s dry north face is drought. If seasonal rains fail, grasses don’t grow. And if nothing green grows, the hundreds of … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 