The Ethiopian Society of Animal Production (ESAP) celebrated its silver jubilee last month. The event was marked on 24-25 August 2017 at Haramaya University where ESAP held its 25th Annual Conference on the subject ‘Livestock – a driver for economic development’. Continue reading
Category Archives: BecA
Bioscience for eastern and central Africa-ILRI Hub
Climate-smart Brachiaria grass helps Kenyan farmers withstand global warming effects
A recent study by the Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute Hub (BecA-ILRI Hub) and the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) shows that farmers in semi-arid region of Kenya could stall the adverse effects of climate change on their farms by planting drought-tolerant Brachiaria grass. Continue reading
Brachiaria: The ‘wonder grass’ that could transform African dairy
Sourcing fodder poses a big headache to many dairy farmers. Brachiaria, a grass repatriated to Africa from Brazil, is good for grazing, can be baled as hay, and increases milk production. Continue reading
Out of Africa genetics: How the giraffe got its long neck (and other biological curiosities and exuberances)
Morris Agaba’s newest passion is the molecular genetics of the giraffe, specifically the genes responsible for the animal’s impossibly long neck and legs—and the highly adaptive cardiovascular system this animal has evolved to manage its formidable biological obstacles. Continue reading
ILRI biosciences hub and vaccine development named global public goods by heads of BMGF and DFID
Sue Desmond-Hellmann, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and Nick Hurd, international development minister for Britain’s Department for International Development (DFID), argue in the Guardian’s Global Development blog this month that the world needs to put science at the heart of development. Two of the examples of success that they cite are initiatives of ILRI. Continue reading
ILRI scientist to direct USAID international project to reduce post-harvest food losses
Jagger Harvey will lead the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for the Reduction of Post-Harvest Loss at the university. The $8.5 million project is helping the countries of Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana and Guatemala reduce the amount of food that is lost or contaminated after harvest. Continue reading
Kenyan livestock farmers reap benefits of climate-smart Brachiaria grasses
Brachiaria grass is helping Kenyan farmers boost their dairy production and alleviate the effects of greenhouse gas emissions and ground water pollution. Continue reading
Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF) – Call for applications 2015
The Biosciences eastern and central Africa-International Livestock Research Institute (BecA-ILRI) Hub capacity building program, which is also known as the Africa Biosciences Challenge Fund (ABCF), is seeking applications for short- to medium-term research projects that can be undertaken at the BecA-ILRI Hub in Nairobi, Kenya. Continue reading
African biosciences research critical for transforming African smallholder agriculture
Gity Behrevan during the BecA-ILRI-Sweden partnership review in Nairobi, November 2013 (photo credit: BecA-ILRI Hub/Tim Hall). ‘Biosciences research could transform Africa’s agriculture and lead to food and nutrition security, but little is being done locally to support its funding, experts say. ‘Researchers and policymakers who attended a review meeting of the Biosciences eastern and central … Continue reading
Kenya, hotspot for aflatoxin poisoning, opens aflatoxin lab and ‘aflasafe’ facility for biocontrol of this fungal toxin
‘In an effort to address aflatoxin poisoning, which has killed more than 100 people in the country, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) has launched the first ever Aflatoxin lab in Kenya.’ Continue reading