Focus on . . .
Livestock.
Livestock production is now the world's largest land user and may soon be its most important agricultural activity in terms of economic output.
Frequently an emotive subject for consumers, we focus on livestock from the farmer's point of view; nutrition, pest and disease control and the potential for the more humble breeds of animal. Beasts may not be a burden (see Debate announcement for the forthcoming edition of New Agriculturist) but we would be a burden to you if we had tried to cover every aspect of livestock production in this edition. Nevertheless, we hope to come back to the subject in future so, if you have a view on what aspect of livestock production would be of most interest, please email us.
Small animals - big value!
Small animals, such as sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits
and chickens, are popular with smallholder farmers, particularly
women, because they are easy to manage and provide a ready source of
income. In addition, small . . .
Crop by-products: the best of the
rest
For more than ten years the Department of Agriculture
at the University of Reading in the UK, and ILRI in collaboration with
KARI in Kenya, have been working on the principle of 'excess
feeding' of crop by-products to livestock. By offering animals .
. .
Containment or eradication for
animal diseases?
Rinderpest has been, perhaps, the most serious of
what are termed 'transboundary' diseases, (epizootic
diseases which are highly contagious with the potential of rapid
spread, irrespective of national borders). There are some fifteen . .
.
Taking 'PAAT' in
Trypansomiasis control
Human and livestock populations continue to be at
risk from trypanosomiasis in many parts of Africa. To overcome this
problem, a new initiative - the 'Programme Against African
Trypanosomiasis' (PAAT) - has been launched . . .
Paravets and plants for animal
healthcare
For many rural farmers, access to veterinary services
and medicines may be difficult, but paravets, who are currently
increasing in numbers, can provide an effective means to minister
animal healthcare in rural areas. Like community . . .
Chicks and ticks
The humble domestic chicken could help farmers more
than they suspect with pest control and, without much effort, could do
more. Within a matter of hours chickens can consume hundreds of a
major livestock pest - ticks . . .
Favouring the fowl
Most village chicken production systems in Africa are
based on the indigenous or native domestic fowl and are characterized
by low levels of inputs and outputs. The main input is feed from
household refuse as well as that scavenged . . .
Man and beast - working together
As the cost of importing machinery, spare parts and
fuel rises, the economic arguments for the use of animal energy as an
essential part of a sustainable and self-sufficient national economic
system should become more evident. In reality however . . .
Livestock and the environment
Demand for meat, milk and eggs is soaring, and the
world's livestock sector is growing at an unprecedented rate.
This puts great pressure on the global natural resource base and, as
demand continues to soar, ways must be found . . .
Livestock Genetic Resources
Farmers around the world use over 4500 breeds or
strains of domestic livestock of some 40+ species. But nearly one
third of the world's livestock breeds are currently at risk of
disappearing . . .
Liberalisation and re-structuring
of livestock services
During the mid 1980s, as the public sector were
confronted with severe financial constraints many African countries
faced a major turning point in the provision of animal health
services. Governments looked to privatisation and . . .
Provision of Livestock Services to
the Rural Poor - a complex issue
Developing countries exhibit a tremendous diversity
of livestock production systems which have evolved from a unique
combination of geographical, cultural and economic conditions. In
these countries up to 70% of . . .
