A vaccine against East Coast fever – a disease which kills over 1 million cattle every year – has recently been officially registered in Tanzania, Kenya and Malawi, with Uganda also close to completing registration. This opens the way for private sector companies to take on vaccination delivery as a profit-making business. But how much … Continue reading
Cattle herd walks home along dry riverbed in Tete Province, Mozambique (photo: ILRI/Mann) ‘A researcher at the International Livestock Research Institute says climate change will have a great impact on Southern African livestock and coastal systems in future. ‘Mario Herrero says by 2050, [some] of Africa will have to revert to livestock farming from crop … Continue reading
The last of the tsetse fly may soon be wiped out of the hot and arid lands of Lake Bogoria in Baringo District of Rift Valley. A protracted campaign against the deadly insect, which causes fatal diseases in humans and livestock, is is finally paying off. It has involved the ministries of Livestock Development, Public … Continue reading
Food security in Western Kenya has been given a massive boost following fundraising from the NFU and the rest of the agriculture industry. The £200,000 raised from the Africa 100 Appeal is now supporting a new project which is benefitting over 12,000 people. The cash is helping farmers to grow stronger, disease-free crops of cassava, … Continue reading
“Northern Kenya can be said to be under a permanent crisis, it’s a region with fewer than 10 medical doctors, no specialists; only the rich can access required healthcare services and many lives are lost daily whether we are in a disaster or not,” Ahmed said. Kenya’s failure to implement a disaster preparedness policy has … Continue reading
As demand for high quality and fear for contaminated milk increases, a new technology that could restore the fading confidence in the country’s dairy sector is under way, thanks to advancements in technology. The new milk sampling equipment takes a ‘network approach’ using advanced technology that connects the entire sampling processing system through general pocket … Continue reading
Better days are dawning for farmers faced with problems of pasture for their livestock, now that scientists majoring in crop production research are improving on the nutritional content of pasture here. The scientists from the National Crop Resources Research Institute at Namulonge Department of Forage Research Programme are currently conducting research on various types of … Continue reading
Photo credit: ILRI / Mann ‘When asked about the success of vaccination against East Coast fever (ECF) in northern Tanzania, Dr Lieve Lynen, is remarkably modest. And yet more than 500,000 animals have been vaccinated against ECF in Tanzania since 1998, largely due to the work of Lynen’s pharmaceutical company VetAgro Tanzania, which has led … Continue reading
Pastoralists across East Africa are set to benefit as the region’s national borders are relaxed amid joint efforts to mitigate the risks associated with their migration. “With the coming into effect [on 1 July] of the common market protocol, pastoralists like the Maasai, the Pokot and the Somali who do not believe in borders as … Continue reading
The Maasai Mara has lost almost 60 per cent of its large animals, including lions, elephants, buffaloes, leopards and rhinos, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme. A continent-wide study, released last week found big mammal populations inside national parks, including Kenya’s Maasai Mara and Tanzania’s Serengeti to have declined by an average of 59 … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 