Climate change will have a great impact on Southern African livestock

Posted on 2 Sep 2010 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

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 →

Africa / Animal Production / Dairying / Insurance / Livelihoods / Livestock / Malawi / Southern Africa

Livestock insurance for milk farmers in Malawi

Posted on 29 Aug 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Insuring livestock against risks and uncertainties is the only way that will boost Malawi’s dairy farming. Nico General Insurance, Marketing Manager Mr. Harry Mhone said this Tuesday when Land O’Lakes handed over a milk cooling tank for farmers in Mzuzu. The beneficiaries, Kapacha Milk Bulking Group, will use the tank to store milk before and … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Animal Health / Disease Control / Pastoralism / Southern Africa

Do present ways of controlling foot-and-mouth disease in southern Africa make sense?

Posted on 23 Aug 2010 by Susan MacMillan • Leave a comment

‘The presence of transboundary animal diseases, and the escalating costs of regulation and meeting export standards, is key to the future of livestock production in Africa . . . and especially meeting the high hopes of the “livestock revolution” . . . . Focusing on the case of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in southern Africa – and … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / Dairying / Livestock / Namibia / Southern Africa

SADC short of meat, dairy products

Posted on 15 Aug 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Though southern African countries under SADC have made progress in livestock production over the past decade, they remain a net importer of meat, milk and eggs. “SADC remains a net importer of these products, which means we still have to do a lot more and there is potential for us to even meet the regional … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / Animal Products / Livestock / Southern Africa / Trade

Meat and markets: Can a global trade in livestock deliver southern Africa out of poverty?

Posted on 13 Aug 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Trading livestock domestically and regionally, rather than globally, offers the best route out of poverty for southern Africa, according to recent research from the STEPS Centre based at IDS. The work, funded by the Wellcome Trust’s Livestock for Life programme, looked at the beef industry in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, and questioned whether … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Health / Emerging Diseases / Livestock / Southern Africa / Wildlife

Using health ecology to manage emerging diseases in Zimbabwe

Posted on 12 Aug 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Since 2008, the Parsel project has been monitoring cattle and wild hoofed animal movements in the Zimbabwe National Park. The aim is to understand and limit the spread of certain diseases. The results obtained so far are so encouraging that the protocol has just been extended to South Africa and Mozambique. Read more … (CIRAD) Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Diseases / Disease Control / Namibia / RVF / Southern Africa

Namibia prevented spread of Rift Valley fever, saved lives

Posted on 10 Aug 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf yesterday commended Namibia for acting swiftly and effectively to halt the spread of Rift Valley Fever (RVF) in the country during recent outbreaks. Speaking at a meeting in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry in Windhoek, Diouf praised the Namibian institutions involved. “Their alertness and prompt reaction prevented outbreaks of … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Health / Animal Production / Livestock / Southern Africa

Zambia formulates livestock development and animal health project

Posted on 18 Jul 2010 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

The proposed project will support the government in improving the productivity of key production systems, namely meat and milk from cattle and small ruminants, and poultry sector. It will specifically strengthen the veterinary services (public and private) to better control major animal diseases and improve food safety. It will also tackle other identified constraints by … Continue reading →

CGIAR / East Africa / Food Security / Southern Africa

Orphan crop prices in East and Southern Africa rise in tandem with staple food prices

Posted on 15 Jul 2010 by ILRI Communications • Leave a comment

Food price crisis in Eastern and Southern Africa: This study was conducted by a team of researchers from national, regional and international organizations based in Eastern Southern Africa under the leadership of the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (ASARECA). The team activities were coordinated by Regional Strategic Analysis and Knowledge … Continue reading →

Africa / Animal Production / Livestock Systems / Southern Africa

SANBio livestock production network node

Posted on 8 Jun 2010 by Peter Ballantyne (ILRI) • Leave a comment

Through research, development and innovation, SANBio’s Livestock Production Network Node aims to improve livestock production and productivity by reducing the negative impact of vector borne diseases for enhancement of livelihoods and poverty reduction in at least five participating countries within the Southern African NEPAD Region. The Southern Africa Network for Biosciences (SANBio) is an intergovernmental … Continue reading →