Category Archives: Kenya

Africa / Agriculture / BecA / Biotechnology / Burundi / Capacity Strengthening / Directorate / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Rwanda / Tanzania / Uganda

‘Bio-Innovate Program is opportunity for Kenya and the region’–Shaukat Abdul Razak (NCST)

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Shaukat Abdul Razak and Björn Häggmark cut a cake to celebrate the launch the Bio-Innovate Program on 16 March 2011; looking on is ILRI director general Carlos Seré (right) and other invited guests (photo credit: ILRI/Mungai). The Africa Science News Service reports on a recently launched Bio-Innovate Program at the InternationalLivestock Research Institute (ILRI). ‘. … Continue reading →

Animal Breeding / Dairying / East Africa / Genetics / ILRI / Kenya / Uganda

Top-quality cows for local East African environments

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SciDevNet this week carries a dairy genetics story. ‘Dairy farmers in East Africa could soon benefit from superior, affordable cattle breeds through a US$1 million research project. ‘The Dairy Genetics East Africa (DGEA) initiative aims to help smallholders take full advantage of the region’s booming dairy sector and improve their incomes by giving them access … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / BecA / Biotechnology / Burundi / Central Africa / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Rwanda / Tanzania / Uganda

Swedish-funded Bio-Innovate Program tackling 6 ‘orphan’ food crops of East Africa

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Portrait of Joyce Ledson, a farmer growing four ‘orphan’ food crops of the poor—beans, cassava, potato and sweet potato—as well as the ubiquitous maize, in Malawi (photo credit: ILRI/Mann). ‘. . . Six orphan crops chosen for a five-year programme called Bio-resources Innovation Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio Innovate) are sorghum, millet, cassava, sweet … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Burundi / Directorate / East Africa / Ethiopia / Kenya / Rwanda / Tanzania / Uganda

New program to provide grants to East Africa’s bioscientists

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Seyoum Leta, manager of the Bio-Innovate Program, speaks at the program’s official launch this week at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), in Nairobi (photo credit: ILRI/MacMillan). ‘A Bioresources Innovation Network for Eastern Africa Development (Bio-Innovate) programme has been launched to provide grants to bioscientists working to improve food production and environmental management in East … Continue reading →

Animal Breeding / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Kenya / Pastoralism / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Shepherds saving sheep

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The ‘hairless’ (non-wool-producing), native and worm-resistant red Maasai sheep of East Africa (photo credit: ILRI). An article this week in InterPress Service tells of Samburu pastoral herders working to bring back their native Red Maasai sheep because it does better than other, exotic, breeds, in the increasingly variable climate of northern Kenya. ‘. . . … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Climate Change / Drought / Drylands / DRYLANDSCRP / East Africa / Food Security / Kenya / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Pastoralism

Climate change pilot project launched in northern Kenya

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A new study is looking at the effects of climate change on pastoralists’ communities in northern Kenya. A pilot project on mainstreaming climate change adaptation among the pastoralists of northern Kenya has been launched. The Ministry of Northern Kenya and Development of other Arid Areas through Arid Lands Resource Management Project with partners who include … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / Animal Products / Dairying / East Africa / Kenya / Livestock / Tanzania / Uganda

Dairy development institutions in East Africa

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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 →

Africa / Animal Feeding / Animal Health / Animal Production / East Africa / Kenya / Livestock / Livestock Systems

Farm-Africa to launch livestock services franchises in Kenya

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FARM-Africa recently announced that it has received funding to develop the first franchise business model that will establish a chain of new veterinary stores to provide quality, accessible and affordable livestock services including clinical services, veterinary drugs, farm inputs, animal feeds and artificial insemination in Africa. Through a US$5m grant from the Bill & Melinda … Continue reading →

Africa / Agriculture / Animal Production / Climate Change / Drought / Environment / Food Security / Kenya / Uganda

World hunger best cured by small-scale agriculture: report

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A move from industrial farming towards local food projects is our healthiest, most sustainable choice, says Worldwatch Institute The key to alleviating world hunger, poverty and combating climate change may lie in fresh, small-scale approaches to agriculture, according to a report from the Worldwatch Institute. The US-based institute’s annual State of the World report, published … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / East Africa / Ethiopia / Kenya / Livestock Systems / Pastoralism / Vulnerability

University of the Bush – understanding pastoral lives

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In November 2010, more than 50 pastoralists, politicians, donors and researchers met in Kenya to discuss the place of nomadic livestock keeping in national development, recent research findings and future policy options. Unusually, the meeting took place not in a conference centre but under an acacia tree, on the edge of a national park – … Continue reading →