Dairy development institutions in East Africa

Posted on 24 Jan 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

This publication from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is the first report of studies on three national dairy development institutions in East Africa – Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The composition, role, structure, shortcomings and future prospects of each national dairy institution are reviewed in order to provide readers with insights as to how to … Continue reading →

Animal Production / Animal Products / Climate Change / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Nutrition

Livestock, climate change, and nutrition: Leveraging livestock to improve livelihoods

Posted on 23 Jan 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

The Livestock-Climate Change CRSPs latest program brief, “Livestock, Climate Change, and Nutrition: Leveraging Livestock to Improve Livelihoods,” describes how livestock research in West Africa, East Africa, and Central Asia is contributing to improving nutrition and health for families and communities. While agricultural production throughout the world has increased, malnutrition and poor health remain a problem … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Feeding / Animal Products / Dairying / East Africa / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Uganda

Computers serving Ugandan cows

Posted on 20 Dec 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

A computer programme for feeding dairy cows has won the top prize in the 2009-2010 Africa-wide science competition held by CTA together with partner organisations. The Endiisa Decision Support Tool was developed by a team of scientists led by the National Livestock Resources Research Institute of Uganda. Team leader Dr Sarah Mubiru said the software … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Products / Dairying / East Africa / ICT / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Value Chains

Kenya dairy farming set to go high tech

Posted on 11 Dec 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

The local dairy industry is set for a major revolution with the planned migration of services to a single digital platform next week. This will put Kenya among few countries with a digitalised dairy value-chain globally, according to the Kenya Dairy Board managing director Machira Gichohi. Various new technologies covering the entire dairy value chain … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Animal Products / East Africa / Environment / Kenya

Biogas from cow dung: A good alternative?

Posted on 2 Dec 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

With the rising fuel costs, farmers in Kenya have come up with ways of generating power locally and cheaply. Biogas is increasing becoming a viable alternative to many farmers and especially those in high potential Central Highlands where dairying is common. Read more … (Kenya Agriculture Stories) Continue reading →

Animal Products / Dairying / Ethiopia / ILRI / IPMS / Livestock / Markets

National Forum calls for set up of Ethiopian Dairy Board

Posted on 30 Nov 2010 by Tsehay Gashaw • Leave a comment

A first National Dairy Forum was organized this week in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Scientists, experts, representatives of farmer cooperatives and farmers, from the private sector as well as non-governmental and international organizations, attended the Forum. On behalf of the state minister, Berhe G/Egziabher, director of the Animal and Plant Health Regulatory Directorate of the Ministry … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Products / Dairying / East Africa / Kenya / Markets

Why do dairy farmers ‘hawk’ milk through informal channels?

Posted on 29 Nov 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

In Kenya, low prices offered by the formal milk marketing channels are forcing farmers countrywide to seek alternatives to get better deals. Milk hawkers have continued to thrive even as restrictions are put on their way as concerns heighten over hygiene standards. Every morning more than 40,000 milk hawkers are out on their bicycles, motorcycles … Continue reading →

Animal Production / Animal Products / Dairying / Livelihoods / Livestock / Pro-Poor Livestock

Prospects for small-scale dairying

Posted on 8 Oct 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Since 2003, the Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the International Farm Comparison Network have been compiling and analyzing information on dairy sector development and dairy household economics over a wide range of countries across the globe. This book brings these studies together and provides a … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / Animal Products / Asia / Biodiversity / India / Indigenous Breeds / Latin America / Livestock / Markets / Somalia / South Africa

Marketing local breeds to improve livestock diversity and livelihoods

Posted on 24 Sep 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • 3 Comments

Throughout the world and over centuries, small-scale livestock keepers and pastoralists have developed animal breeds that are well suited to their local conditions. These breeds are hardy and disease-resistant; they can survive on little water and scant vegetation. They can continue producing meat and milk in areas where modern, imported breeds succumb without expensive housing, … Continue reading →

Animal Production / Animal Products / Livelihoods / Livestock / Markets / UK

Could new farm animals provide a future for the livestock sector?

Posted on 20 Sep 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

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 →