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A livestock master plan is produced for India's Odisha State

The following is a foreword by Jimmy Smith, director general of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), to a new ILRI report, Odisha Livestock Master Plan 2022/23–2026/27 . 'The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and its partners have, since 2013, provided technical...

  • Enock Chikava
    Agriculture development interim director(Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation)
  • Shri R. Raghu Prasad
    IFS principal secretary, Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Department(Government of Odisha)
Africa RISING feed

Quality barley seeds and linkages with breweries unlock better incomes for Ethiopian farmers

Assefa Negash, a farmer and secretary of the Bekume Oyora Seeds Growers’ Cooperative, has long faced difficulties in getting high-quality malt barley seeds. He cultivates the crop jointly with members of his cooperative group on a 3.3-hectare piece of land in the Goba District of the Bale zone,...

  • Haimanot Seifu
Africa RISING feed

BRIEF FOCUS: Cowpea living mulch for food security and soil health

Intercropping cowpea as a living mulch with maize improves food security and dietary diversity. It also conserves soil moisture, adds soil nitrogen, and suppresses weed growth. This four-page brief, prepared by Nurdeen Abdul Rahman, Fred Kizito and Irmgard Hoeschle-Zeledon of the International...

  • Africa RISING communications
Africa RISING feed

BRIEF FOCUS: Feed and health package for improved small ruminant production

Based on a new, locally available feed, less wastage, and better veterinary care, the feed and health package improves farmers’ food security and incomes by increasing livestock productivity. This four-page brief, prepared by Augustine Ayantunde of the International Livestock Research Institute (...

  • Africa RISING communications
Africa RISING feed

BRIEF FOCUS: Nutrient-rich beans for improved nutrition, incomes, and soil fertility

NUA 45 alias ‘magic’ bean is bio-fortified and provides valuable food and nutrition security for small-scale farmers and their families. It is rich in protein, iron, and zinc; improves soil fertility, and produces higher yields than local bean varieties. This four-page brief, prepared by Rowland...

  • Africa RISING communications
Africa RISING feed

Ethiopia partners apply digital solutions in on-farm experiments

Training participants group photo (photo credit: ILRI/Apollo Habtamu) . The Africa RISING project in the Ethiopian Highlands held training sessions for project site coordinators, extension experts, development agents and data enumerators from 7–8 June 2021. Close to 20 participants from project...

  • Haimanot Seifu
Africa RISING feed

Public and Private Partnerships improve smallholder farmer fortunes in Babati, Tanzania

Written by Michael Kinyua, Inot Songoyani and Prosper Massawe (Alliance Bioversity-CIAT) A farmer in Tanzania harvests maize. The beans which was intercropped with the maize will also be ready for harvest soon (photo credit: Georgina Smith/CIAT). Babati, a district in northern Tanzania, thrives on...

  • Africa RISING communications
Africa RISING feed

BRIEF FOCUS: Optimal spacing for groundnuts in smallholder farming systems

Increasing the planting density for groundnut generates multiple benefits by boosting yields of grain and fodder per unit area. It enhances soil fertility, improves water retention, and prevents weed growth, thereby raising farmers’ food security and incomes. This four-page brief, prepared by...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Africa RISING feed

BRIEF FOCUS: Conservation agriculture in maize-legume systems

Conservation agriculture (CA) is a promising technology for supporting sustainable increases in productivity. It helps farmers achieve more reliable and often higher yields while reducing production costs, increases dietary diversity, improves soil structure and fertility, maximizes nutrient and...

  • Jonathan Odhong
ILRI clippings

Meat, milk and more for Africa: Four countries with successful livestock policy innovations to emulate

Graphic modified slightly from the Malabo Montpellier Panel report. A newly published Malabo Montpellier Panel report, Meat, Milk & More: Policy innovations to shepherd inclusive and sustainable livestock systems in Africa , ‘highlights options for sustainably promoting growth in the livestock...

AgHealth blog

New study sheds light on early intensification of smallholder backyard poultry farming systems

Poultry production is an important contributor to the livelihoods of rural populations, especially in low- and middle-income countries. As poultry production in these countries remains dominated by backyard systems with low inputs and low outputs, considerable yield gaps exist. Intensification of...

ILRI clippings

Disease outbreaks linked to degraded ecosystems: A problem ALL of us are driving and ALL of us need to solve

Kenya’s wildlife-rich rangelands with cattle and wildlife (photo credit: ILRI/Dave Elsworth). ‘While the world’s attention is focused on controlling COVID-19, evidence points at the biodiversity crisis as a leading factor in its emergence. At first glance, the two issues might seem unrelated, but...