Study characterizes West African farmers' knowledge of cattle trypanosomosis

Farmers in the cotton zone of West Africa play a major role in the successful management of trypanosomosis, according to an article published in the August 2009 issue of the journal Acta Tropica.

The article titled Characterisation and validation of farmers' knowledge and practice of trypanosomosis management in the cotton zone of West Africa reports the results of a survey by researchers from ILRI's Market Opportunities Theme -- Delia Grace, Hippolyte Affognon and Thomas Randolph -- and partners on how farmers manage cattle trypanosomosis in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali.

The survey covered 895 farmers keeping 14,450 cattle.

Most farmers knew the common signs of trypanosomosis and considered it the most important cattle disease. Farmers used integrated strategies to prevent and control the disease, such as administering trypanocidal drugs, avoiding high-risk areas and keeping trypanotolerant cattle.

The researchers recommend further studies on the costs and benefits of farmer treatment of animals, in light of the importance of rational use of veterinary drugs.

Citation
Grace D, Randolph T, Affognon H, Dramane D, Diall O and Clausen P-H. 2009. Characterisation and validation of farmers' knowledge and practice of trypanosomosis management in the cotton zone of West Africa. Acta Tropica 111(2): 137-143.

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ILRI presents to US Agriculture Secretary Vilsack

Photo: Jeff Haskins (Burness Communications)

ILRI Markets Theme scientist Amos Omore (left) gives a presentation on ILRI’s smallholder dairy research to the US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute in Muguga. Looking on (right) is KARI Director Dr Ephraim Mukisira.

Secretary Vilsack visited KARI Muguga on Tuesday 4 August 2009 ahead of the 8th African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) Forum that was held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi the following day.

[EDIT UPDATE] For details about Amos' presentation, check out this Top Story from the ILRI website.

ILRI research report: influence of policy in control of trypanosomosis in West Africa

Although several strategies are available to control trypanosomosis (for example, tse tse fly control or rearing of trypanotolerant cattle breeds), cattle farmers in Mali often choose trypanocidal drugs as the only method. However, frequent use of the low-priced trypanocides has led to the development of resistance to the drugs, which is emerging as a major obstacle to their continued use.

A research study was carried out to characterize the policy environment that influences the ability of Malian cattle farmers to control trypanosomosis sustainably, and to identify policies needed to support sustainable trypanosomosis control strategies.

The research findings are contained in a report titled Etude des politiques relatives aux stratégies de gestion de la chimiorésistance dans le cadre de la lutte contre la trypanosomose en Afrique de l’Ouest: Cas du Mali (Study of policies relating to strategies for management of trypanocide resistance in West Africa: The case of Mali).

The authors of the report call for continued policy dialogue to raise awareness on the extent and potential impacts of trypanocide drug resistance. They also recommend that ways to disseminate information on Rational Drug Use (RDU) be identified in order to come up with best-bet control strategies that are acceptable to all stakeholders.

The report is written in French with an abstract in English.

Citation
Affognon H, Coulibaly M, Diall O, Grace D, Randolph T and Waibel H. 2009. Etude des politiques relatives aux stratégies de gestion de la chimiorésistance dans le cadre de la lutte contre la trypanosomose en Afrique de l’Ouest: Cas du Mali. ILRI Research Report 17. ILRI (International Livestock Research Institute), Nairobi, Kenya. 58 pp.

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Preventive Veterinary Medicine publishes paper on participatory epidemiology study among Turkana pastoralists

The 01 August 2009 edition of the journal Preventive Veterinary Medicine features a paper on a participatory epidemiology study carried out to determine the relative incidence of livestock diseases and their impact on the livelihoods of pastoralists in Turkana South District, Kenya.

The paper was written by Bernard Bett, Christine Jost and Jeffrey Mariner of ILRI’s Markets theme, and Robert Allport of Vétérinaires Sans Frontières Belgium.

According to the study findings, interventions aimed at improving the productivity of goats and controlling diseases like mange, peste des petits ruminants and contagious caprine pleuropneumonia are likely to have a positive impact on the livelihoods of pastoralists in Turkana South district.

Nomadic pastoralism, limited access to veterinary services and livestock theft were identified as unique challenges that tend to frustrate effective disease control interventions. “These challenges need to be addressed in development and disease control interventions,” the authors conclude.

Citation
Bett B, Jost C, Allport R and Mariner J. 2009. Using participatory epidemiology techniques to estimate the relative incidence and impact on livelihoods of livestock diseases amongst nomadic pastoralists in Turkana South District, Kenya. Preventive Veterinary Medicine 90:194-203.

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ILRI paper wins top award at IAMA World Annual Symposium

An ILRI research paper on commodity-based beef exports from Ethiopia won the Best Paper Award at this year’s World Annual Forum and Symposium of the International Agribusiness Management Association (IAMA) held at Budapest, Hungary from 20-23 June 2009.

The paper, titled Commodity-based trade and market access for developing country livestock producers: the case of beef exports from Ethiopia, came out tops in a field of 29 papers that were up for the award. Over 350 people attended the symposium whose theme, in relation to food and agribusiness, was Global challenges and local solutions.

The paper was written by Karl Rich of ILRI and the American University in Cairo, and two former ILRI (and Markets theme) staff: Brian Perry of the University of Oxford and Simeon Kaitibie of the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria.

The paper examines the economic feasibility of a proposed two-phase SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) certification for beef exports as a means of enhancing Ethiopian livestock exports.

“Given the nature of competition in international beef markets, Ethiopia will likely be forced to compete on quality, exporting a diversity of cuts on the basis of demand and competitiveness in different regions, and in differentiating its product relative to competitors over and beyond higher disease-free and food safety standards,” the paper concludes.

Download the paper here (PDF)

CEO of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation lauds work by ILRI and partners in East Africa

In his first annual letter as Chief Executive Officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Jeff Raikes gives special mention to the East Africa Dairy Development Project which is opening up new market opportunities for small-scale dairy farmers through the setting up of milk chilling plants that also serve as hubs for access to vital inputs and financial services.

Jeff Raikes says,

"...In March, I traveled to Kenya and Zambia to see some of that work. One of the sites I visited was a milk chilling plant in the Kenyan town of Ol Kalou. The plant, which is part of a project with Heifer International, gives almost 3,000 dairy farmers the ability to chill their milk so that it won’t spoil before it is transported to a processing plant. This facility opens up a whole new market opportunity for them.

I was impressed by the chilling facility, but what really struck me were all the additional services attached to it. The plant had become a central hub where dairy farmers in a radius of 50 kilometers could get access to financial services, buy feed, and seek veterinary care for their cattle.

This is one kind of investment foundations are well-suited to make. At some point, these agricultural hubs may be profitable. In that event, they will draw interest from the private sector. But businesses won’t take that risk unless somebody provides more evidence that the business model works. I am optimistic that our project with Heifer International will do just that, while helping thousands of farmers escape poverty and hunger...."

The East Africa Dairy Development project is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and led by Heifer International in partnership with ILRI, TechnoServe, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the African Breeders Services Total Cattle Management (ABS-TCM).

ILRI research features in CGIAR story of the month

Just in case you missed it, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) has featured ILRI's work on risk-based approaches towards control of zoonotic diseases as the CGIAR story of the month. Check it out here.