Tackling poultry diseases in Ethiopia

Posted on 5 Dec 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • 2 Comments

Developing countries such as Ethiopia have many indigenous chicken varieties which are well adapted to local environments as they are excellent foragers, better able to avoid predator attacks and demonstrate better immunity to common diseases. However, due to relatively low genetic potential and poor levels of husbandry, most of these indigenous chicken breeds grow slowly … Continue reading →

Drought / East Africa / Ethiopia / Event / Food Security / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Pastoralism / Vulnerability

Pioneering insurance for remote livestock herders taking hold in drought-prone areas of Kenya and Ethiopia

Posted on 1 Dec 2011 by Susan MacMillan • 1 Comment

Sake Dabasso Halake with her recent livestock insurance payout, which was made in northern Kenya’s Marsabit District following the great drought that afflicted the Horn of Africa in the latter half of 2011 (photo credit: Jeff Haskins/Burness Communications). Laurie Goering, a reporter for AlertNet writing from the United Nations climate change meetings in Durban this … Continue reading →

ASF / CBPP / Directorate / Event report / ILRI / Presentation / Research / Staff

Livestock research for development in a complex, messy world: Carlos Seré reflects on a decade of work for ILRI

Posted on 1 Dec 2011 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

ILRI former director general Carlos Seré at an ILRI ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event held in Nov 2011 on ILRI’s campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to reflect on the ‘Seré legacy’ and ways forward for the institute under ILRI’s new director general, Jimmy Smith (photo credit: ILRI/Zerihun Sewunet). On 9 and 10 November 2011, the ILRI Board of … Continue reading →

Animal Production / Directorate / ILRI / Interview / Livestock / Pro-Poor Livestock / Research

Billions depend on livestock

Posted on 1 Dec 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • 1 Comment

The New Agriculturist’s Geneviève Renard recently interviewed ILRI Director General Jimmy Smith about the challenges facing livestock and livestock research. Livestock play a vital role in the income and livelihoods of billions and they are also a safety net for the poor. To help smallholders escape their poverty, we need to act on productivity: by … Continue reading →

Animal Breeding / Animal Production / Biotechnology / East Africa / Event report / Genetics / ILRI / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Research

Livestock research directions for ILRI – systems, health, genetics, impacts?

Posted on 29 Nov 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

During the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at ILRI, we video recorded reports back from group discussions in three of the sessions: Animal health and genetics – issues and controversies for ILRI research. This session discussed significant or controversial developments; the next big thing in animal genetics, breeding, health, genomics, and feeding. Livestock … Continue reading →

Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Animal Production / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Ethiopia / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Livestock / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Researching trypanotolerance in indigenous cattle breeds of Ethiopia

Posted on 25 Nov 2011 by Tsehay • 1 Comment

Between 15 and 17 November 2011, scientists, experts and development practitioners from the Ethiopian Ministry of Agriculture, universities and non-governmental and international organizations gathered in Addis Ababa to share research results on trypanotolerance in indigenous local cattle breeds in Ethiopia (Sheko, Abigar, Horro and Gurage) and experiences with community-based sheep breeding. The Sheko breed got … Continue reading →

Animal Production / Crop residues / Crop-Livestock / Farming Systems / Film and video / ILRI / Intensification / Livestock / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock

Pathways for sustainable development of mixed crop-livestock systems in developing countries

Posted on 25 Nov 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

On 3 November 2011, Shirley Tarawali presented ILRI work on crop-livestock systems at the Wageningen symposium ‘Assessment for sustainable development of animal production systems.’ Watch the video of her presentation (Tarawali starts 40 minutes into the video) View Tarawali’s presentation: Continue reading →

Directorate / ILRI / Interview / Livestock Systems / Research / Staff

Carlos Seré: On the LiveSTOCK Exchange ‘hard seat’

Posted on 22 Nov 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

During the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at ILRI, Brian Perry interviewed Carlos Seré, former Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute. Watch the video: On 9 and 10 November 2011, the ILRI Board of Trustees hosted a 2-day ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ to discuss and reflect on livestock research for development. The event synthesized sector … Continue reading →

Animal Production / Directorate / ILRI / Interview / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Research / Staff

Jimmy Smith: On the LiveSTOCK Exchange ‘hard seat’

Posted on 20 Nov 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

During the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at ILRI, Brian Perry interviewed Jimmy Smith, Director of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Watch the video: On 9 and 10 November 2011, the ILRI Board of Trustees hosted a 2-day ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ to discuss and reflect on livestock research for development. The event synthesized sector and … Continue reading →

Aflatoxins / Africa / BecA / Biotechnology / East Africa / Genetics / ILRI / Interview / Research / Staff

Segenet Kelemu: On the LiveSTOCK Exchange ‘hard seat’

Posted on 18 Nov 2011 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

During the November 2011 ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ event at ILRI, Brian Perry interviewed Segenet Kelemu, Director of the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA) Hub. Watch the video: On 9 and 10 November 2011, the ILRI Board of Trustees hosted a 2-day ‘liveSTOCK Exchange’ to discuss and reflect on livestock research for development. The event … Continue reading →