Study calls for participatory approach to prevent trypanocide drug resistance in West Africa

The prevention and management of trypanocide drug resistance in the cotton zone of West Africa are best addressed through a multi-sectoral approach that involves the participation of all actors, including manufacturers, sellers, drug users, regulators and extension providers, a new study recommends.

The study, accepted for publication in Veterinary Parasitology (19 April 2011), assessed the impact of different strategies for preventing and managing resistance to trypanocidal drugs commonly used to control the deadly cattle disease, trypanosomosis, which is transmitted by the tsetse fly and threatens the livelihoods of resource-poor smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Rational drug use, participatory vector control and keeping of trypanotolerant cattle were identified as effective strategies in preventing drug resistance.

Read the abstract.

Citation
Clausen P-H, Mungube E, Bauer B, Zessinn K-H, Diall O, Bocoum Z, Sidibe I, Touratier L, Affognon H, Liebenehm S, Waibel H, Grace D and Randolph TF. 2011. Management of trypanosomosis and trypanocide resistance in smallholder livestock production systems of tsetse-infested sub-Saharan West Africa. Veterinary Parasitology. Article in press.

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Livestock data innovation project works to improve quality of livestock data in Africa

The Livestock Data Innovation in Africa project is a three-year (2010–2012) project that works with national governments and institutes to pilot and develop methodologies to identify, collect and analyze livestock data in three pilot countries: Niger, Tanzania and Uganda.

Among other objectives, the project seeks to establish and maintain communication networks between the suppliers and users of livestock data so that a core set of key livestock indicators and their associated data can be identified, regularly collected and shared in order to support targeted pro-poor investment and policy formulation.

The project is sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and jointly implemented by the World Bank, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in collaboration with the African Union - Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).

East Africa's small dairy farmers and traders to benefit from training manuals in Kiswahili

"Hygienic milk production: A training guide for farm-level workers and milk handlers in Eastern Africa." One of six training manuals in Kiswahili for dairy farmers and informal milk traders in Kenya and Tanzania 

The East Africa Dairy Development project, through the Market Opportunities theme of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), has supported the re-packaging of training manuals for small dairy farmers and traders by translating the documents into local languages to enhance uptake and use.

In February 2006, the chief executives of dairy boards in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda endorsed harmonized generic training manuals that were developed for training of small-scale dairy farmers and informal milk traders, transporters and processors in eastern Africa.

The manuals were based on common minimum standards needed for hygienic handling of milk and dairy products and form the basis of a certification and licensing scheme for the region's small-scale traders that will enable them to sell their milk freely across borders.

More recently, the Tanzania Dairy Board commissioned the translation of the manuals from the original English into Kiswahili. The Kiswahili versions are now available.

Moduli 1 - Uzalishaji bora wa maziwa: Mwongozo wa kufundishia wafugaji na wahudumu wa maziwa Afrika Mashariki

Moduli 2 - Njia bora za ukusanyaji na upimaji maziwa: Mwongozo wa kufundishia wahudumu wa vituo vya kukusanyia maziwa Afrika Mashariki

Moduli 3 - Utunzaji, uhifadhi na usafirishaji bora wa maziwa: Mwongozo wa kufundishia wasafirishaji wa maziwa Afrika Mashariki

Moduli 4 - Biashara ya maziwa bora: Mwongozo wa kufundishia wafanyabiashara wa maziwa Afrika Mashariki

Moduli 5 - Usindikaji bora wa maziwa: Mwongozo wa kufundishia wasindikaji wadogo wa maziwa Afrika Mashariki

Moduli 6 - Misingi ya uendeshaji biashara ya maziwa na masoko: Mwongozo wa kufundishia wafugaji, wafanyabiashara, wasafi rishaji na wasindikaji wa maziwa Afrika Mashariki

For more information, contact Dr Amos Omore, a.omore @ cgiar.org

Impact case study on Smallholder Dairy Project features on DFID R4D portal

The Research4Development (R4D) portal of the UK Department for International Development (DFID) features an impact case study on the Kenya Smallholder Dairy Project, a research and development project collaboratively undertaken by the Ministry of Livestock Development, the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (KARI) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) from 1997 to 2005.

R4D is the portal to DFID centrally funded research. It provides up-to-date information on DFID's current research portfolio as well as information about the research activities prior to 2008 in Rural Livelihoods, Health, Social Sciences, Education, and Infrastructure and Urban Development.

Below is the summary of the case study report, Policy change: Milking the benefits for small-scale vendors.

"Evidence-based research by the DFID-funded Smallholder Dairy Project (SDP) revealed the economic and nutritional significance of the informal milk sector and the potential for improved handling and hygiene practices, which would ensure quality and safety of milk from farm to cup. The second phase of the project (2002-2005) involved more active engagement with policymakers to raise awareness of its research findings on the informal milk market, its importance for livelihoods, and to allay public health concerns while simultaneously working with milk vendors to pilot training and certification approaches that effectively improve quality. Updated dairy industry regulations, designed to streamline licence application processes for smallscale milk vendors, were issued by the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development (MoLFD) in September 2004.

"Total economy-wide gross benefits accruing to the sector from the policy change are estimated at US$33 million per annum, as a result of reduced transaction costs and less milk spoilage due to improved practices by newly-trained vendors. More than half of the benefits accrue to producers (increased incomes) and consumers (lower milk prices). Licensing of smallscale milk traders by the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB) has also led to formation of groups under the umbrella of the Kenya Smallscale Milk Traders Association. A further legacy of the project is the establishment of self-employed business development service providers, who are paid by dairy companies and traders to provide training on milk handling and business development. The lessons learnt from the SDP are being applied across East Africa, particularly Tanzania and Uganda, and also in India."

Download the full version of the case study (PDF)