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ILRI News
Livestock Feed and Fodder blog

Scientists identify genomic regions controlling important genetic traits for Napier grass

Napier grass, also known as elephant grass, is one of the most important fodder crops grown across the global tropics. As this new year commences, a team of scientists from East Africa, China and South Korea have identified 74 genomic regions containing quantitative trait loci (QTL) – sections of DNA which correlate with a broad range of morphological, agronomic, and feed quality traits.

ILRI News
ILRI News

BecA-ILRI Hub and Addis Ababa University organize advanced bioinformatics training

A virtual Advanced Bioinformatics and R training series was recently organized for faculty members of the Institute of Biotechnology (IoB), Addis Ababa University (AAU). The training was jointly organized by AAU and the Biosciences eastern and central Africa - International Livestock Research...

ILRI News

For or against women empowerment? Views from men and women smallholder farmers in the Southern and Amhara regions of Ethiopia

This article is co-authored by Esther Njuguna (ILRI), Rachel Gitundu (ILRI), Nelly Njiru (ILRI), Lenesil Asfaw (Consultant), Melkamu Derseh (ILRI) and Annet Mulema (IDRC). Ethiopia is increasingly highly vulnerable to climate change. Farmers across different regions are dealing with climate...

ILRI News
ILRI News

Bridging the gap between scientists and the media when communicating about One Health

World One Health Day, which is celebrated annually on 3 November, brings attention to the need to recognize and implement One Health approaches to tackle health threats in the animal, human and environmental interfaces. The One Health Centre in Africa (OHRECA) , which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), hosted a virtual media café ahead of World One Health Day. Through an engaging discussion moderated by Aghan Daniel, CEO of the Media Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture Association (MESHA) , journalists and scientists from the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and Kenya's Zoonotic Disease Unit , unpacked One Health approaches by broadly exploring the subject and specifically talking about public health threats such as Rift Valley fever, rabies and Ebola.

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
ILRI News

Develop, Demonstrate and Deploy’: Building capacity in DNA sequencing for agricultural biosciences in Africa

Africa is incredibly rich in plant, animal, and human diversity. Uncovering the genetic basis of this diversity could hold the key to improving the productivity of crops and livestock and enhancing human health on the continent. A unique and comprehensive bioinformatics training programme has been...

ILRI News
CGIAR Research Program on Livestock

From breeding to genetic solutions strategy—how a livestock genetics innovation achieves ever-growing impact at scale

The Tropical Poultry Genetic Solutions Strategy (TPGS) is a genetics innovation strategy for identifying and testing high-producing farmer-preferred poultry genotypes and using them at scale to address income, nutrition and empowerment challenges in Africa, Asia and beyond. Designed in 2014, TPGS...

ILRI News
ILRI News

The World Animal Day celebrated in Ethiopia

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MoA) celebrated the World Animal Day in partnership with Brook Ethiopia, ELNet Foundation and the Ethiopia Veterinary Association on 9 October 2021. Activities to mark the day were held in Addis Ababa, under the...

ILRI News

Recent locust swarms highlight the importance of livestock in east Africa

In December 2019, and continuing through most of 2020, locust swarms periodically blotted the skies above east Africa. The invasion formed in the Arabian Desert in May 2018, with strong winds eventually pushing the insects across the Red Sea and into east Africa, generating a plague on a scale not...

ILRI News

The challenge of securing women's land rights in the pastoral areas of Ethiopia

Land rights remain a complex and ambiguous subject for the majority of people in sub-Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, formal state laws assert that women have equal rights regarding land use and access. However, Ethiopia's pastoral areas are often highly influenced by both religious and customary...

Africa RISING feed

Bridging the livestock feed gap through improved feed and forage options

Ethiopia is known for its large livestock population. The livestock sector in Ethiopia contributes about 46% of the country’s agricultural GDP. Livestock is primarily kept on smallholdings where it provides draught power for crop production, manure for soil fertility and fuel, and serves as a...

  • Haimanot Seifu
ILRI News
ILRI News

Urban food markets in Africa: stakeholders discuss project findings

The research project ‘ Urban food markets in Africa: Incentivizing food safety using a pull-push approach’ aims to mitigate food safety risks in the poultry and vegetable chains of Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. Initiated in 2018, the project, led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI...