HAMDALLAYE, Niger, Mar 31, 2010 (IPS) – The cows Djibo Hama looks after belong to someone else, but he is diligent. Anticipating a severe shortage of good grazing in 2010, he secured cattle feed for the 35 that remain. “I have purchased a large quantity of feed for my cattle, with the proceeds from selling … Continue reading
A recent paper in the African Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics presents a model for calculating the optimal livestock stocking rate in a semi-arid rangeland that accounts for stochastic rainfall, the ecological feedback effect and variable prices. The model is developed for rangelands dominated by annual rather than perennial grasses, such as the African … Continue reading
Tara Garnett of the FCRN examines “some of the arguments surrounding the relationship between what we feed and how we rear farm animals, and the availability and accessibility of food for human consumption. Does livestock production foster or hinder food security? In what ways are the contributions of intensive and extensive systems to food security … Continue reading
In this pictorial essay, 10 farmers in Kenya explain how fodder shrubs have increased their incomes and enabled them to diversify their livelihoods. In addition to better earnings and increased milk production, fodder shrubs have helped to increase the confidence and status of women. Read more … (New Agriculturist) Continue reading
Koos Coetzee of South Africa’s Milk Producers’ Organisation argues that intensive livestock-production systems can be sustainable for people and the environment. He argues: “It’s erroneously believed that low-input production systems hold the key to sustainable dairy production” “We need efficient high-input production systems that use technology to produce enough food for our growing population. Farmers … Continue reading
The long wait spanning more than 62 years for having the national rangeland policy is almost over. Alarmed by the rangelands and pastures’ degradation and adverse impacts of climate change on them coupled with growing loss of biodiversity, the Ministry of Environment has finally come up with a draft strategy to ensure sustainable development and … Continue reading
Australian researchers plan to launch a genetically-engineered “super-grass” by 2013, claiming that cows grazing on it will produce up to 20 per cent more milk. The GE ryegrass – being developed in Australia for New Zealand seed company PGG Wrightson – has potential to make a huge difference to agriculture, according to the chief executive … Continue reading
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud today paid a visit to Nothingville Backlands, Hope, East Coast Demerara, to assess the works in progress to sustain cattle farmers, in light of the El Nino situation now being experienced. During an interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Minister Persaud said that the exercise is in keeping with … Continue reading
The Agriculture and Consumer Protection Department of FAO, in collaboration with Embrapa, IFAD and IICA, will co-organize an international consultation on the theme: Integrated Crop-Livestock Systems for Development: The Way Forward for Production Intensification. The consultation process will operate largely through an electronic exchange by experts during February 2010 followed by a smaller workshop in Sete Lagoas, Minas Geráis, Brazil, from … Continue reading
In recent times, in eastern Africa, arable land has become more scarce and livestock production has gained more ground, making maize more important than ever—both as a source of food and feed—in highly intensified crop-livestock farming systems. In an innovative partnership, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 