The 14th Summit of the African Union (AU) heads of state and government here has unanimously nominated Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to again represent Africa in international fora in future global climate conferences. The AU Summit, which ended here Tuesday, commended the same leading role played by Meles on behalf of the continent at … Continue reading
Category Archives: Africa
Africa / Agriculture / BecA / ILRI / Research
Bill Gates: Africa is innovating in financial services, food sciences, health
In the second annual letter he has issued to the public to discuss his and his wife’s philanthropic work through the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Microsoft founder Bill Gates issued an upbeat assessment on the prospects of overcoming the challenges faced by the world’s poorest people—many in Africa—in the fields of health and agriculture. … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / East Africa / ILRI / Kenya / Livestock
Livestock – the lifeline of hundreds of millions of people
Livestock production in developing and developed countries are different. Livestock beneficial for developing nations is harmful for developed countries. While rising consumption of meat, milk and eggs is one of the factors in epidemics of obesity and heart disease in developed countries, consumption of meat and milk in developing countries is associated with good rather … Continue reading
Africa / Climate Change / Drought / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livestock
Livestock farmers to receive compensation
Livestock farmers in North Eastern Kenya will be compensated against loss of their animals from drought following the launch of an insurance product targeting the sector. The compensation will ensure that pastoralists do not suffer losses when their livestock die from drought, disease or flooding. Read more … (Kenya Broadcasting Corporation) Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Botswana / Drought / Insurance / Southern Africa
Agriculture insurance finally launched in Botswana
Agriculture insurance has finally been launched for the first time in Botswana with the facilitation of the Agricultural Hub, as the sector tries to move towards full commercialisation. This week, Agrinsure Botswana a joint venture effort between South Africa’s Farmers Technical Insurance Services Company (FTISC) and Alexandra Forbes Botswana, was officially unveiled to stakeholders in … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / Epidemiology / ILRI / Participation / West Africa
Participatory epidemiology training course kicks off in Togo
This week, the Participatory Epidemiology Network for Animal and Public Health (PENAPH) holds a 5-day training course for trainers in Participatory Epidemiology, in Lomé, Togo. The 11 participants were selected from the 29 Participatory Disease Surveillance (PDS) practitioners trained in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire and Togo as part of the Early Detection Reporting Surveillance … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Disease Control / East Africa / Epidemiology / ILRI / Livestock / Markets / Trade / Uganda
Livestock trade is culprit in sleeping sickness spread
Scientists baffled by the continued spread of sleeping sickness through Uganda have discovered that it is livestock markets that are driving the disease. A team from Uganda and the United Kingdom analysed the incidence of the serious Rhodesian form of sleeping sickness, which is carried by cattle, in two newly affected districts. They confirmed that … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Products / East Africa / Livestock / Markets / Trade
East Africa losing millions on exports of unprocessed leather
Livestock experts want East African countries to invest more in the processing of hides and skins in order to increase revenue. Largely neglected as a village-based enterprise for arid and semi-arid areas, the experts argue that the leather sub-sector could inject additional revenue into regional economies through value addition. According to the permanent secretary in … Continue reading
Equity Bank and UAP will insure Kenyan herders against drought
Equity Bank Ltd. and UAP Insurance Ltd. will insure livestock in northern Kenya against starvation and are offering the first African insurance program that will use satellite images to predict drought. The index-based product will initially be sold to herders of camels, cows, goats and sheep in Kenya’s arid Marsabit district, the Nairobi, Kenya-based International … Continue reading
Africa / Drought / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Pastoralism / Research
Satellites to help Kenyans secure against drought
“This is a new approach to tackle an old problem,” Carlos Sere, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), said of the satellite-based insurance for cattle, goats and other animals. Satellite images will measure the greenness of vegetation in the Marsabit area of northern Kenya. A shift to brown will trigger payouts to … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 