ILRI presents at 10th World Conference of Animal Production

Steve Staal, Director of ILRI's Market Opportunities research theme, was among several ILRI scientists who spoke at the 10th World Conference of Animal Production (WCAP), which was held in Cape Town, South Africa from 23-28 November 2008.

His presentation was titled Smallholder dairy development: Implications for livelihoods. He noted that smallholder dairy farming remains competitive in many situations and is likely to retain a significant share of dairy production in future.

Smallholder Dairy Development: Implications for Livelihoods

ILRI research report: Contract poultry farming in Bangladesh

ILRI's Markets theme has published a research report titled Alternative institutional arrangements for contract farming in poultry production in Bangladesh and their impacts on equity. The study identified forms of market institutions that would allow smallholder poultry producers in Bangladesh to engage in commercial production of broilers and eggs so as to raise household incomes under rapidly differentiating livestock markets.

Citation
Jabbar MA, Rahman MH, Talukder RK and Raha SK. 2007. Alternative institutional arrangements for contract farming in poultry production in Bangladesh and their impacts on equity. ILRI Research Report 7. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya. 98 pp.

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ILRI research report: Dairy farming in Uganda

Results of an in-depth characterization study of the Uganda dairy sector have been published in a 2007 ILRI research report titled Dairy farming in Uganda: Production efficiency and soil nutrients under different farming systems.

The study revealed that dairy farming in Uganda is profitable, regardless of the level of intensification, so a highly intensified system like zero-grazing is not always the best option.

Additionally, poor soil quality was found to be a problem in mixed crop-dairy farms under all dairy farming systems, despite availability of adequate amounts of on-farm manure. Shortage of labour may be one reason why manure is underused.

More research is needed into the economics and practicability of manure application and how to integrate it with other farm activities that compete for available labour.

Citation
Baltenweck I, Mubiru S, Nanyeenya W, Njoroge L, Halberg N, Romney D and Staal S. 2007. Dairy farming in Uganda: Production efficiency and soil nutrients under different farming systems. ILRI Research Report 1. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya. 26pp.

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Workshop to review ‘Feeding dairy cattle’ manual for smallholder farmers and extension workers in East Africa

The East African Dairy Development (EADD) project plans to hold a workshop at ILRI, Nairobi, on 21-22 August 2008 to revise a manual on feeding dairy cattle for smallholder farmers and extension workers.

The manual -- written by Margaret Lukuyu, Dannie Romney, Robert Ouma and Keith Sones for the Kenya Dairy Development Program -- was initially produced in 2007 for smallholder dairy farmers and extension workers in Kenya. It has proved very popular and its revision is thus intended to improve the relevance of the contents to the wider East Africa region

The workshop will also review an inventory of extension materials on livestock feeds and feeding the EADD project is in the processes of compiling. Participants will identify what is missing and what is most useful to stakeholders and the information will help the project to produce dissemination materials to bridge the gaps.

Some 23 participants from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda are expected to attend, representing private and government extension workers, NGOs, research organizations, universities and farmers.

ILRI presents at OIE 76th Annual General Session

Dr Jeffrey Mariner presenting the ‘Technical Item’ at this year's Annual General Session of the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) in Paris held on 25-30 May 2008. Dr Mariner leads the team on animal health and food safety for trade, under ILRI's Markets research theme.

The presentation was titled ‘The role of small farmers in animal health’ and authored by Delia Grace, Christine Jost, G. MacGregor Skinner and Jeffrey Mariner. This OIE-commissioned survey of all member country veterinary services led to the drafting of resolution by a working group which was passed by the General Session on 30 May 2008.

The resolution recommends that ‘the OIE review international standards, definitions and guidelines to identify opportunities to encourage small farmer participation, under the supervision of Veterinary Services, and enhance equity and efficiency in animal health and trade’ among other things.

Congratulations on this outcome to Jeff and team!

ILRI research report: Livestock ownership, commercial off-take rates and their determinants in Ethiopia

In a 2008 ILRI research report, Livestock ownership, commercial off-take rates and their determinants in Ethiopia, Asfaw Negassa and Mohammad Jabbar document the results of a study carried out to assess the commercial off-take rates for cattle and shoats in the highland and pastoral areas of Ethiopia.

The study found very low commercial off-take rates for cattle and shoats among Ethiopian smallholder farmers and pastoralists.

Furthermore, a large proportion of the few animals sold are of such age and body conditions that many of them are unlikely to meet the needs of meat export abattoirs.

The low commercial off-take rates and limited market participation are likely due to small herd and flock sizes, low fertility and high mortality rates, and poor nutrition.

Citation
Negassa A and Jabbar M. 2008. Livestock ownership, commercial off-take rates and their determinants in Ethiopia. ILRI Research Report 9. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya. 52pp.

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New dairy project to improve livelihoods of one million people in East Africa

A USD 42.8 million project aimed at lifting one million people in East Africa out of poverty was launched in Nairobi in May 2008.

Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to Heifer International, the East Africa Dairy Development (EADD) project aims to help 179,000 families – or one million people – double their incomes by increasing production of high-quality raw milk for sale to commercial dairies.

The EADD project will develop 30 milk collection hubs with cooling facilities where dairy farmers will bring raw milk for collection by commercial dairies. It will particularly target women for inclusion in both the benefits of the project and its leadership.

The four-year project (2008–2012) will be implemented in selected districts in Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda. Heifer International will manage the project with two partner organizations, TechnoServe and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

Other collaborators are the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the African Breeders Services Total Cattle Management (ABS-TCM). ICRAF will provide farmers with improved feeding strategies to increase milk productivity while ABS will provide farmers with artificial insemination services and assist in milk testing activities.

For more about information, please visit the project website.