Selling milk from dairy cows and goats can be an excellent business for small-scale farmers. Recently, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has established a project in three East African countries, which aims to double the income of one million rural people, through small-scale dairying. Dr Amos Omore from the International Livestock Research Institute explains … Continue reading
Category Archives: East Africa
Agriculture / Dairying / East Africa / ILRI / Kenya
If words were food, nobody would go hungry
Investment in agriculture is soaring. So, worryingly, is distrust of markets and trade At the height of the food-price spike in 2008, many of the biggest food producers banned the export of crops (they sought to cushion the domestic impact of rising world prices). Most of these restrictions have been lifted and replaced by a … Continue reading
Journalists experience livestock science in action in Kenya’s south Rift Valley
A ‘science safari’ to the south Rift Valley has enabled African journalists to get first-hand experience of the recent drought in Kenya and the impacts on pastoralists and their livestock. Eight radio and print journalists from East, West and southern Africa took part in the ‘safari’, as part of the latest ‘better science reporting’ workshop … Continue reading
Africa / Agriculture / Capacity Strengthening / CapDev / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / Innovation Systems / IPMS / Livestock
Applying innovation system concepts in agricultural research for development: A learning module
This report by Ponniah Anandajayasekeram and Ranjitha Puskur of ILRI and Elias Zerfu of IFPRI on Applying innovation system concepts in agricultural research for development was released on 23 November, 2009. This learning module is expected to have multiple uses. One, a source material for trainings that could be organized at different levels, and two, as … Continue reading
Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Cattle / East Africa / ECF / Knowledge and Information / Livestock / Tanzania
Using mobile phones to monitor cattle disease
In October, the London International Development Centre (LIDC) organised a workshop to discuss the ‘Impact of Mobile Phones Upon Development and Health’. Three speakers spoke on the use of mobile phones and animal health in Africa: Andrew Hagner (Royal Veterinary College) explained how he and his Undergraduate Research Team used mobile devices to record the … Continue reading
A day in the life of livestock science in Africa: The journalists’ view
Many agricultural science reporters don’t have first hand experience of livestock science. But one team of African print and radio journalists embraced the chance to find out more, to see livestock science in action. Click here to watch the video More videos on livestock from Wrenmedia … Continue reading
Agriculture / Cattle / East Africa / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Pastoralism / Vulnerability
Pastoralists enter safety zone with insurance cover
…Pastoralists will be compensated for loss of their animals from January after a livestock insurance product is launched in Kenya. However, details of the exact amount of premium to be paid will depend on the insurance company that have agreed to partner with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the institution that developed the product. … Continue reading
Agriculture / East Africa / Food Security / ILRI / Kenya / Livestock / Tanzania / Uganda
Food security in East Africa is ‘within reach’
East Africa will face both crop gains and losses as a result of climate change, but food security is an achievable goal if new farming technologies are embraced, says a study. The research, published in Agricultural Systems this month (3 November), predicts that yields of staples like maize and beans will double in the region’s … Continue reading
Agriculture / Drought / East Africa / Eritrea / Ethiopia / Food Security / Kenya / Somalia / Sudan / Uganda
Over 20 million people need food aid in East Africa: U.N
Drought and war in eastern Africa have left more than 20 million people in desperate need of emergency food aid, the United Nations said on Tuesday. “The situation is very worrying due to expected crop and pasture failures from poor rains in several areas, the increase in conflicts, trade disruptions and continuing high food prices,” … Continue reading
Canada / Cattle / Climate Change / East Africa / Environment / ILRI / Insurance / Kenya / Livestock / USA
Kenya to use satellites to fight climate change
Satellite-based insurance for livestock has been developed in Kenya to measure the country’s “greenness,” safeguarding herders against droughts and other effects of climate change. Slated to begin in early 2010, Kenya will be the first developing nation to set up a satellite insurance mechanism. Specialists will study satellite images measuring the greenness of vegetation in … Continue reading
ILRI Clippings 