The visit of Carlos Seré, Director General of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), to IITA Headquarters in Ibadan on Tuesday reaffirmed ties between the two research organizations and signalled potential for broader joint work. Speaking before IITA and ILRI scientists and management during a luncheon meeting at the International House, Seré elaborated on some … Continue reading
Category Archives: Livestock Systems
Kenya seeks to grow beef export market
The Kenyan Government is making fresh attempts to establish livestock disease-free zones to expand the country’s beef export market. Livestock permanent secretary Kenneth Lusaka said his ministry was expecting some funding from both internal and external sources for the setting up of the zones. Read more. . . (The Daily Nation) Continue reading
Livestock – A pathway out of poverty
Professor Elaine Watson, Head of the Dick Vet, recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate cooperation with GALVmed (Global Alliance for Livestock Veterinary Medicines). GALVmed is a not-for-profit global alliance working with key partners to make animal health medicines accessible to poor livestock keepers in developing countries. Read more. . . Continue reading
They’re chipping cows in Kenya
Virtual City using Microsoft technology, it uses radio frequency identification (RFID) to keep track of cattle in Kenya, according to a Microsoft blog post. The tag goes in the cow’s stomach (no word on which one, or how it doesn’t end up coming out again) and keeps information on the cow’s origin, previous owners and … Continue reading
Cattle business driving rain forest clearing
Demand for beef products, particularly in Britain and Europe, has led ranchers to raze thousands of acres of Amazon rain forest to raise cattle. The cattle business represents the greatest threat to the Amazon rain forest, 80% of which still stands today. A three-year investigation by Greenpeace found cattle ranchers have followed the inroads by … Continue reading
Cow genome sequence could boost cattle quality
The sequencing of the cow genome, announced last week, could speed up efforts to improve the quality of cattle in the developing world, say livestock scientists. The sequence, the compilation of which involved 300 scientists from 25 countries, was published in Science last week (24 April). The genome contains 22,000 genes, according to the Bovine … Continue reading
Organic dairy manure may offer high quality fertilizer option
Dairy cows that produce USDA-certified organic milk also produce manure that may gradually replenish soil nutrients and potentially reduce the flow of agricultural pollutants to nearby water sources, according to findings by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and colleagues. Cows on organic dairy farms generally consume forage feeds cultivated on soils that are fertilized with … Continue reading
Cows with gas: India’s global-warming problem
Indolent cows languidly chewing their cud while befuddled motorists honk and maneuver their vehicles around them is an image as stereotypically Indian as saffron-clad holy men and the Taj Mahal. Now, however, India’s ubiquitous cows — of which there are 283 million, more than anywhere else in the world — are assuming a more menacing … Continue reading
Slaughter project saves farmers in drought-hit area
The Kenya Meat Commission has started slaughtering animals from drought-hit regions to save farmers from incurring losses on livestock deaths. The exercise, which started on Monday, is a multi-million-shilling campaign launched by the government through the emergency drought mitigation project. Read more. . . ( Reuters) Livestock farmers reject Sh700m bailout project 30 April 2009 … Continue reading
Livestock is no villain
BLAMING livestock for global warming distorts reality and will not solve the world’s complex environmental and economic problems, says IAIN WRIGHT Cattle have been getting some bad press lately. Western editorials report the consumption of too much fatty red meat leading to increased heart disease, the inefficient use of grain as feed for livestock and … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 