Selling milk from dairy cows and goats can be an excellent business for small-scale farmers. Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has established a project in three East African countries, which aims to double the income of one million rural people, through small-scale dairying. Dr Amos Omore from the International Livestock Research Institute explains … Continue reading
Category Archives: Countries
Proven successes in agricultural development in Ethiopia
Launching the ‘Millions Fed’ book in Addis Ababa yesterday, Ethiopian Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development H.E Ato Tefera Derebew congratulated IFPRI and the authors: “It is good that we have best practices identified and that we have menus that help us choose what suits our situation.” He also noted that Ethiopia has many best … Continue reading
Agriculture / Dairying / East Africa / ILRI / Kenya
If words were food, nobody would go hungry
Investment in agriculture is soaring. So, worryingly, is distrust of markets and trade At the height of the food-price spike in 2008, many of the biggest food producers banned the export of crops (they sought to cushion the domestic impact of rising world prices). Most of these restrictions have been lifted and replaced by a … Continue reading
Maximising milk: Breed or feed?
With growing demand in Africa for dairy products, much work is being done by scientists and farmers to improve milk production. But what is important in ensuring high milk production? Is it the breed of cow or the feed it is given? Pastoralist Albert Kuseyo, dairy expert Dr. Amos Omore, and Gerald Besseling, a farmer … Continue reading
Asia / Livestock / Pakistan / South Asia
Livestock sector significant in Pakistan
There are some sector experts who argue that it is due to the numerous, geographically dispersed and small-scale livestock producers who dominate the primary production side of the value chain that livestock productivity cannot realise its potential. The rural sector within the Pakistani economy remains vital due to the fact that it still employs a … Continue reading
Journalists experience livestock science in action in Kenya’s south Rift Valley
A ‘science safari’ to the south Rift Valley has enabled African journalists to get first-hand experience of the recent drought in Kenya and the impacts on pastoralists and their livestock. Eight radio and print journalists from East, West and southern Africa took part in the ‘safari’, as part of the latest ‘better science reporting’ workshop … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Innovation Systems / IPMS / Livestock
Applying innovation system concepts in agricultural research for development: A learning module
This report by Ponniah Anandajayasekeram and Ranjitha Puskur of ILRI and Elias Zerfu of IFPRI on Applying innovation system concepts in agricultural research for development was released on 23 November, 2009. This learning module is expected to have multiple uses. One, a source material for trainings that could be organized at different levels, and two, as … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Cattle / East Africa / ECF / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Tanzania
Using mobile phones to monitor cattle disease
In October, the London International Development Centre (LIDC) organised a workshop to discuss the ‘Impact of Mobile Phones Upon Development and Health’. Three speakers spoke on the use of mobile phones and animal health in Africa: Andrew Hagner (Royal Veterinary College) explained how he and his Undergraduate Research Team used mobile devices to record the … Continue reading
Cattle / Climate Change / Environment / Livestock / USA
Climate reprieve for cattle
Beef cattle are not the climate-change bogeymen they’re made out to be, according to a new US study. University of California scientists say UN estimates that livestock generate 18 per cent of global greenhouse emissions could be six times too high. They say recent estimates by US environment and energy agencies, using more appropriate assumptions, … Continue reading
A day in the life of livestock science in Africa: The journalists’ view
Many agricultural science reporters don’t have first hand experience of livestock science. But one team of African print and radio journalists embraced the chance to find out more, to see livestock science in action. Click here to watch the video More videos on livestock from Wrenmedia … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 