Category Archives: Breeds

A 1,000-year-old ‘Evolutionary Jolt’ helped African cattle adapt to the continent’s multiple challenges
Africa / Agriculture / Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Breeds / Indigenous Breeds / Launch / Livestock / Livestock Productivity / LIVESTOCKCRP / LivestockGenetics / Pastoralism / Science paper

A 1,000-year-old ‘Evolutionary Jolt’ helped African cattle adapt to the continent’s multiple challenges

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A new study in Nature Genetics retraced 1,000 years of African pastoralist cattle breeding, identifying how cattle acquired the traits that enabled them to spread throughout the continent NAIROBI, Kenya (30 Sep 2020)— Scientists sifting through the DNA of indigenous African cattle breeds announced today the discovery of a thousand-year-old ‘admixture event’ between the world’s … Continue reading →

ILRI ‘eWeigh’ mobile phone app to help farmers accurately estimate live weight of their cattle
Animal Feeding / Animal Health / Animal Production / Breeds / Cattle / Dairying / Data / East Africa / Kenya / Knowledge and Information / Launch / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / Mazingira / Project

ILRI ‘eWeigh’ mobile phone app to help farmers accurately estimate live weight of their cattle

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Researchers from the Mazingira Centre at ILRI have developed a mobile phone application (app) to help farmers better gauge the live weight of their animals. Continue reading →

A few engineering breakthroughs that could (literally) transform Africa’s dairy systems and food security
ADGG / Agriculture / Animal Production / Biotechnology / Breeds / Data / Diagnostics / Genetics / Kenya / Livestock / Livestock Systems / Research

A few engineering breakthroughs that could (literally) transform Africa’s dairy systems and food security

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This article has been written by Steve Kemp In the next 30 years, the world population is expected to reach 10 billion. A big question is if we can feed this many people sustainably. A short answer, if one involving much uncertainty, is, Yes, we can. It is commonly understood that agricultural scientists will continue … Continue reading →

Five years of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health: celebrating achievements and renewing commitments
Agriculture / Animal Health / Biodiversity / Breeds / Europe / Genetics / Kenya / LiveGene / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / UK

Five years of the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health: celebrating achievements and renewing commitments

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    As the Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH) approached its five-year milestone, the principals of the founding partner organizations met at the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) to discuss the progress made so far and plan for the centre’s future. CTLGH’s vision is to ‘support more resilient, sustainable and profitable tropical … Continue reading →

Better breeds for more milk: ​African dairy genetics gains bulls and cows exhibition
Animal Breeding / Animal Health / Animal Production / Animal Products / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Breeds / Capacity Strengthening / CGIAR / Genetics / ILRI / LiveGene / Livestock / LIVESTOCKCRP / Tanzania

Better breeds for more milk: ​African dairy genetics gains bulls and cows exhibition

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    Today, thirty-five farmers and over fifty representatives from the Tanzanian government including Hon. Luhaga Mpina, Minister of Livestock and Fisheries, Tanzania, and Dr. Eligy Mussa Shirima, Director General of the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI), Tanzanian government and dairy industry leaders, representatives from neighboring African nations and international organizations, gather at the Nane … Continue reading →

Africa’s animal genetic resources – the wealth within
Africa / Animal Breeding / Animal Health / Animal Production / Biodiversity / Breeds / Cattle / Genetics / ILRI / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKCRP

Africa’s animal genetic resources – the wealth within

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Today, more than a hundred key partners in African livestock development, including African ministers, senior policymakers and other dignitaries, have gathered in Nairobi, Kenya, to launch new and notable products that improve our understanding of the incalculable value held in Africa’s indigenous animal genetic resources, many of which are threatened by extinction and must be protected Continue reading →

ILRI’s Jimmy Smith on farm animal diversity for more sustainable and resilient global food systems
Animal Breeding / Animal Feeding / Biodiversity / Breeds / Climate Change / Event Report / Forages / Genetics / Geodata / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKCRP / Presentation / Pro-Poor Livestock / Resilience / Spotlight

ILRI’s Jimmy Smith on farm animal diversity for more sustainable and resilient global food systems

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Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), this week made a short presentation at the annual meeting of the Food Forever Initiative held in Wilmington, Delaware, 23–24 Sep 2018. Food Forever is a global partnership to raise awareness on the importance and urgency of conserving and using agricultural biodiversity. Smith is one of 30 Food Forever champions advocating this important cause. Smith spoke on the central importance of better conserving, characterizing and using the world’s remaining livestock diversity to ensure future food security in the face of climate and other changes. Continue reading →

Art and science bring poultry genetics to life in Ethiopia while celebrating local diversity in all its forms
ACGG / Animal Breeding / Biodiversity / Biotechnology / Breeds / Chickens / Communications / East Africa / Ethiopia / Event / Food Security / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / Knowledge and Information / LiveGene / LIVESTOCKCRP / Nutrition / Pro-Poor Livestock / Project / Spotlight / Women

Art and science bring poultry genetics to life in Ethiopia while celebrating local diversity in all its forms

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Art and science unite to serve Ethiopian farmers—’Incubated Worlds’ explores genetic diversity of poultry to  boost nutrition and incomes. Continue reading →

ILRI’s Kapiti livestock research station—and Kenyan and global public goods—imperiled by land grabs in Kenya
Animal Breeding / Animal Diseases / Animal Feeding / Animal Health / Animal Production / Breeds / Cattle / Climate Change / Communications / Directorate / Drylands / East Africa / ECF / Goats / ILRI / ILRIComms / Kenya / Opinion Piece / Policy / Pro-Poor Livestock / Rangelands / Research / RVF / Sheep / Small Ruminants / Spotlight / Wildlife

ILRI’s Kapiti livestock research station—and Kenyan and global public goods—imperiled by land grabs in Kenya

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Over the past several weeks, illegal attempts to grab land have escalated at Kapiti Plains Estate (‘Kapiti’, or ‘Kapiti research station’), located about 60 km southeast of Nairobi along Mombasa Road, in Machakos County. Members of groups involved in the illegal sales have started trespassing and building illegal structures on Kapiti research station. No land at Kapiti is for sale. Continue reading →