Heifer-in-trust, Social Protection and Graduation: Conceptual Issues and Empirical Questions

This article examines the ‘heifer-in-trust’ or ‘livestock-in-kind credit’ model through a social-protection lens. Specifically it seeks to engage with debates about the use of asset-based strategies to support graduation from social protection. Drawing on project experience with dairy goats in Ethiopia and dairy cattle in Tanzania, the article concludes that while the asset-ness of livestock may in principle allow them to make a unique contribution to livelihood transformation and thus graduation, the most obvious target group is least likely to be able to handle the demands and risks associated with livestock assets

Estimation of direct additive, maternal additive, heterotic and maternal heterotic effects from crossbreeding goats in Kenya

Due to the character of the original source materials and the nature of batch digitization, quality control issues may be present in this document. Please report any quality issues you encounter to [email protected], referencing the URI of the item.Bibliography: leaves 54-59.Not availabl

Practical crossbreeding for improved livelihoods in developing countries: The FARM Africa goat project

Successful livestock improvement programmes focusing on low-input smallholder production systems though rare, are possible using community-based approaches. This paper outlines important design and implementation components of a goat improvement programme undertaken by FARM Africa in the eastern highlands of Kenya. Through strong capacity building initiatives at grass-roots level, producers were empowered to undertake a goat genetic improvement programme that benefitted them in several ways. This resulted in the farmers forming their own umbrella organizations to cater for their interests as producers in accessing animal health and breeding services, production inputs, and marketing goats and goat products. In seven years, the population of improved goats in one of the project areas increased from 2100 to 5500, and the livelihoods of the participating farmers improved. Income from sales of milk and improved breeding and slaughter stock increased, while food security improved as a result of daily milk consumption and improved crop yields resulting from use of the rich goat manure. The project has, however, faced challenges arising mainly from the popularity of the improved goats within the Eastern Africa region, which has resulted in sale of a large number of the young animals, leaving few replacements within the project area. Uptake of goat breeding by private commercial farmers to provide breeding stock and replacement animals is currently lacking. Further research and evaluation is required on how to strengthen collective-action based institutions to improve services within smallholder farmer communities

Importance of the experimental setup in research on attractiveness of odours in moths : an example with Busseola fusca

Wind tunnel and Y-tube olfactometer studies are useful for demonstrating the responsiveness of male moths to sex pheromones. However, in the cereal stem borer, Busseola fusca (Fuller) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), wind tunnel bioassays yielded poor results when the behavioural responses of females to plant odours were tested. We demonstrated that for B.fusca females, the Y-tube olfactometer was better suited for measuring the attractiveness of plant odours, compared with the wind tunnel. In particular, we showed B.fusca preference for odours of a host over a non-host plant species using this apparatus. Behavioural responses for B.fusca after host finding are also discussed

Milk yield of East African, Galla, their first crosses (F1) with Toggenburg and Anglonubian and the 4-way dual purpose goats (DPG) under station management

Lactation and mean daily yields of 71 does comprising the synthetic dual purpose 4 way crosses, Fl's and the indigenous Galla and East African (EA) were analysed using general linear models to identify main variables influencing these characters and to evaluate the management at the Olmagogo station. Both breed and season of kidding had highly significant (p.05). Age of dam at kidding approached significance in influencing lactation yields. The 4-way crosses had the highest and the EA the lowest yields. However the greatest improvement in yields was in the FI indicating that while the greatest effect of crossbreeding in milk yields was at the Fl level, further improvement in developing the DPG will come through intensive selection. Animals kidding in the wet season tended to have higher lactation yields than those kidding in the dry season. Generally animals showed a long productive longevity especially the indigenous does. To adequately quantify the merits of the indigenous animals more work will be done on the comparative fertility and productivity levels. The study suggests that as the potential for long and high lactation does is established at Olmagogo by breeding the DPG, the management has also to develop a dry season package to sustain the yields. The indicated seasonal breeding will have to be judged against the demand for continuous supply of milk to the farm family and the need to reduce kid mortality when group kidding occurs especially during rainy seasons

Developmental challenges and opportunities in the goat industry: the Kenyan experience

Dairy goat development in Kenya started in the mid 1950s, with the introduction of exotic dairy goat breeds. Major projects to improve the dairy goat sector were not realized until the late 1970s under United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) funded and FAO executed projects, which lasted until the mid 1980s. The initial projects were mainly government station-based, and aimed at multiplying improved stock for distribution to farmers. Due to several technical, logistical and financial constraints the station-based projects failed to meet their objectives, and by 1996, despite huge financial investments in this endeavour, only a total of approximately 40,000 improved goats were available in Kenya. The farmers were not directly involved and genotype-by-environment interaction issues were not duly taken into account in designing and executing the projects. In early to mid 1990s, the German Development Corporation (GTZ) and FARM Africa initiated new approaches that were community-based and farmer-led in two regions of Kenya. Genetic improvement activities were now based on-farm, as opposed to government stations. Farmers and farmer-group members were rigorously trained on breeding programme designs and management, husbandry, including primary healthcare and were facilitated to run their show with frontline technical support from the NGO's and government officers. In just 7 years, the dairy goat population has risen to more than 90,000 head, hence doubled over the 7-year period. In addition, the improved goat technology is alive with many NGOs replicating the new approach. The community participation in the crucial areas of service provision, animal health delivery, marketing and quality control has strongly influenced this development. The challenges, successes and other experiences of these two Kenyan projects are presented and illustrated by way of a case study as to how simple participatory approaches can actually lead to significant improvement in the livelihoods of the rural resource poor families