Animal Breeding / ILRI / India / Intensification / Poultry / South Asia

India-developed poultry breed increases incomes in the country’s northeast state of Nagaland

‘A Hyderabad-developed poultry breed has brought about a sea change in the lives of farmers in Mon district of Nagaland. ‘Reduced mortality rates of Vanaraja-bred birds, developed by the project directorate on poultry, Hyderabad, and increased income, has resulted in farmers asking for more supplies of the breed from the Nairobi-headquartered International Livestock Research Institute … Continue reading

Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Pastoralism / Somalia / Vulnerability

United Nations upgrades drought in southern Somalia to famine status

An elderly Somali woman arrives at Dadaab refugee camp, in northern Kenya; despite the dangers, thousands of refugees every week are making the journey south from Somalia into Kenya, walking for weeks across the desert and braving attacks by armed robbers and wild animals; Dadaab is now the world’s largest refugee camp, supporting more than 370,000 … Continue reading

Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Cattle / East Africa / Film and video / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Kenya / Sheep / Small Ruminants

Australian TV program highlights research in race against time to save Africa’s ‘hairless sheep’ and other native breeds

Worm-resistant red Masai sheep, an indigenous ‘hairless’ sheep kept by Maasai herders, in Kenya (photo credit: ILRI). Catalyst, the Australian Broadcasting Company’s well-regarded science television program, yesterday (14 Jul 2011) broadcast an episode on research being conducted in Kenya to conserve the native livestock of Africa. Okeyo Mwai, an animal geneticist working at the International … Continue reading

Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Pastoralism / Somalia / Southern Africa / Vulnerability

Coping with weather variability–urgent in Africa whether or not it is due to climate change

The worst drought in 60 or so years is biting deeper into countries in the Horn of Africa; artists from around the world painted canvases illustrating the human impact of climate change in their countries; 16 of these canvases were being exhibited at the UN Climate Negotiations in Poznan, Poland, in Dec 2008 (image credit: … Continue reading

Directorate / East Africa / Event / Germany / ILRI / Kenya / NRM / Pastoralism / Wildlife / WLE

Germany and ILRI sign agreement in Nairobi to collaborate in research to assess the pastoral-livestock-wildlife benefits from Kenya’s eco-conservancies

German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited ILRI’s Nairobi campus on 12 Jul 2011: Here, the Chancellor is rising from signing ILRI’s visitors’ book, with German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner, Kenya Agriculture Minister Sally Kosgei and ILRI Director General Carlos Seré looking on (photo credit: ILRI/MacMillan). Nairobi’s Daily Nation newspaper reported yesterday (12 Jul 2011): ‘Kenya has … Continue reading

Directorate / East Africa / Event / Germany / ILRI / Kenya

German chancellor and minister of agriculture and Kenyan ministers of agriculture and health visit ILRI’s research laboratories

German Chancellor Angela Merkel signs ILRI’s visitor’s book, with the German Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner (left), Kenya Livestock Minister Mohammed Kuti, ILRI Director General Carlos Seré and Kenya Public Health and Sanitation Minister Beth Mugo looking on (photo credit: ILRI/MacMillan). Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Nairobi yesterday (12 Jul 2011) on a one-day stop on … Continue reading

BecA / Directorate / East Africa / Event / Germany / ILRI / Kenya

Germany’s Chancellor Merkel to tour ILRI’s advanced biosciences labs in Nairobi today

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (Flickr photo by Jan Strohdiek).  ‘Chancellor Angela Merkel arrives in Kenya Tuesday to spearhead Germany’s political and economic interests in the country and the region. ‘German ambassador to Kenya Margit Hellwig-Boette said Mrs Merkel would hold talks with President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Speaker Kenneth Marende. ‘She … Continue reading

Biodiversity / Capacity Strengthening / East Africa / Environment / Event / Farming Systems / Geodata / ILRI / Innovation Systems / Kenya / Launch / NRM / WLE

Kenya’s ecosystems mapped and put online to enhance the country’s education, environment and development

The World Resources Institute (WRI) is blogging about a collaborative project called Virtual Kenya, which it is leading with the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), and Upande Ltd, a Nairobi-based company bringing geographic information systems and web mapping to the African market. ‘Two weeks ago, WRI and Kenyan partners Upande Ltd., Wildlife Clubs of … Continue reading

Drought / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Kenya / Report / Somalia / Vulnerability

Massive livestock deaths in drought-ravaged Horn of Africa increase conflicts and close schools

Food shortages are affecting some 10 million people in the drought-ravaged Horn of Africa in July 2011;  Oxfam reports that in some parts of Kenya and Ethiopia, 60 percent or more of the livestock herds have perished (image credit: UNHCR and USAID). >>> The humanitarian news service IRIN reports yesterday on the severe drought ravaging the … Continue reading

Africa / East Africa / Film and video / ILRI / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Niger / PIM / Policy / Project / Research / Tanzania / Uganda / West Africa

Improving livestock data in Africa–Policy perspectives

The ‘Livestock Data Innovation Project’ is a three-year project to pilot and develop ways to identify, collect and analyze livestock data in three countries: Uganda, Tanzania and Niger. In its second year, representatives of several partners in the organization share their video perspectives on livestock data and its management. Here Kristin Grote from the Bill … Continue reading