News Archive

ILRI News

Advocating for livestock, say its supporters, requires stronger narratives as well as robust evidence

Mary Nzomo, the chair of Kenya’s Agriculture County Executive Committee Members Caucus, holding the microphone, flanked by Zena Habtewold Biru and Isabelle Baltenweck. (Photo credit: David Aronson/ILRI) The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and African Union Commission sponsored a...

African Chicken Genetic Gains blog

Educational tours to ILRI poultry research facility inspire young students in Ethiopia

Students from Hillside School at the ILRI poultry research facility in Addis Ababa (photo credit: ILRI/Apollo Habtamu). The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)-led African Chicken Genetics Gains (ACGG) project is now hosting educational tours for students at the poultry research...

  • Beamlak Tesfaye
ILRI clippings

Tanzania launches five-year livestock sector master plan

A dairy cow in Tanga, Tanzania. The Tanzania livestock master plan will guide investment to develop the country’s livestock sector (photo credit: ILRI/Paul Karaimu). IPPmedia reported last week that the Tanzania government has launched a Tsh1.4 trillion (USD596 million) livestock master plan that...

Livestock Feed and Fodder blog

Irrigated forages improve livestock productivity and livelihoods in Ethiopia

By Aberra Adie and Michael Blummel Despite having Africa’s largest livestock population, Ethiopia has not realized the full benefits from the sector due to low animal productivity which is attributed to many factors, the foremost being poor quality and inadequate feed resources. Researchers in the...

Africa RISING feed

What’s in a name? Africa RISING partners aim for common understanding of terminologies

A group discussion during the Africa RISING Program Learning Event held 5–8 February 2019 in Malawi (photo credit: Simret Yasabu/ILRI). Words like ‘innovation’, ‘spillover’, ‘adoption’, ‘technology’ and others are often parts of the daily lexicon of agricultural researchers and development...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Africa RISING feed

Operationalizing the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework: An interview with Vara Prasad

Vara Prasad (left) being interviewed by Jonathan Odhong at the Africa RISING Program Learning Event on 5–8 February 2019 in Malawi (photo credit: Simret Yasabu/ILRI). The launch of the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework (SIAF) in November of 2018 by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Africa RISING feed

Exploring farmers’ willingness to pay for small-scale maize shelling machines in Tanzania

Agricultural intensification is being promoted among African smallholders to feed the growing population. When existing land has to be more intensively cultivated, mechanization should be adopted to complement the higher labour demand to accomplish increased activities. Moreover, agricultural...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Africa RISING feed

Economic analysis of fertilizer options for maize production in Tanzania

The minimal use of inorganic fertilizer in Tanzania has hampered agricultural productivity growth among smallholder farmers. This is partly because of the negative attitude of farmers towards inorganic fertilizers. Soil fertility management options (including inorganic fertilizers) have been tested...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Africa RISING feed

Integrating gender analysis into the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework

This poster shows how the Sustainable Intensification Assessment Framework can be used for gender analysis in the context of the Africa RISING project. The framework consists of five domains: productivity, profitability, environment, human and social. One of the foci of the social domain is gender...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Mazingira blog

Two students from Braeburn International School Arusha joining Mazingira for a week

At the end of February 2019, two students from the Braeburn International School Arusha joined the Mazingira Team for one week. They were not just looking over our shoulders to learn about what a typical environmental laboratory looks alike but actually got quite some hands-on experience. Read...

Africa RISING feed

Productivity potential and nutrition quality of quality protein maize hybrids in central Tanzania

Maize is a key staple food for the majority of smallholder farm families in central Tanzania. But the productivity of this staple crop is constantly called into question due to erratic rainfall, declining soil fertility, as well as pests and diseases. Additionally, the nutritive quality of the...

  • Jonathan Odhong
Africa RISING feed

Research on conservation agriculture and associated practices in eastern Zambia

Declining soil fertility and a changing climate requires sustainable cropping systems that improve productivity and profitability while adapting to climate variability without negative environmental side effects. Since 2011, agricultural researchers in eastern Zambia have focused on the use of...

  • Jonathan Odhong