Baltenweck, Isabelle

Juga, J.

Marshall, Karen

Missohou, Ayao

Poole, Elizabeth J.

Tapio, M.

Tebug, Stanly Fon

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 MTT SCIENCE 26  15Senegal Dairy Genetics Karen Marshall1, Stanly Tebug1, Jane Poole1, Isabelle Baltenweck1, MiikaTapio2, Jarmo Juga3, Ayao Missohou41International Livestock research Institute (ILRI), P. O. Box 30709 Nairobi 00100, Kenya2MTT Agrifood Research Finland, Biotechnology and Food Research, Jokioinen FI-31600, Finland3Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 28, 00014 Helsinki, Finland 4Inter-state School of Veterinary Science and Medicine of Dakar (EISMV), P.O. Box 5077, Dakar (Fann), Senegal E-mail: k.marshall@cgiar.orgAbstractThe FoodAfrica work-package Senegal Dairy Genetics aims to improve the pro-ductivity and profitability of small to me-dium scale dairy enterprises in Senegal, leading to improved food and nutrition security, enhanced livelihoods, and a more sustained environment. In addition, the project aims to build the capacity of vari-ous stakehodlers in dairy, including young researchers, dairy-farmers, service provid-ers, extension agents, educators, and  poli-cy-makers. The work-package is a colalbo-ration between four research institutions based in Senegal, Finland and Kenya (the Interstate School of Veterinary Science and Medicine of Dakar, The University of Hel-sinki, AgriFood Research Finland, and the International Livestock Research Institute), and has involved students from a number of West and Central African countries, as well as Finland. The particular focus of Senegal Dairy Ge-netics is to examine the trade-offs, in terms of both benefits and costs, of keeping dif-ferent breeds or cross-breeds of dairy an-imals.  These include indigenous breeds, such as Zebu Gobra and Zebu Maure, which have been raised by Senegalese live-stock keepers over the centuries and are well adapted to the harsh environmental conditions, and crosses of these with new-ly introduced breeds, such as the Guzerat, Montbelliard and Holstein-Freisian, which produce more milk but require addition-al inputs in terms of health-care, feed and labour to survive and produce.  To exam-ine these trade-offs, Senegal Dairy Genet-ics has partnerned with 239 dairy farming households located in two sites in Sene-gal.  These households range from the very traditional (such as those from the Fulani ethnic group) to the more innovative, and together keep more than 3500 dairy ani-mals of numerous breed and cross-breed types.   Productivity and economic infor-mation on these dairy animals is being collected over an 18 month monitoring period, resulting in an extremely valua-ble and unique database on dairy in Sene-gal.  In addition, the breed-type of the an-imals will be determined using advanced DNA based approaches, ensuring this in-formation is accurately known in the ab-sense of recorded pedigree.  On comple-tion of the data collection period, the data will be analysed with feedack on the ben-efits and costs of keeping different breeds or cross-breeds of dairy animals dissem-inated to a broad range of stakeholders, resulting in enhanced capacity and better decision-making on this key issue.  Fur-ther, Senegal Dairy Genetics is working towards ensuring farmers can better ac-cess the dairy breed-types of their choice, by building the capacity of local stake-holders to strengthen the dairy germplasm supply system.Keywords: Dairy cattle, Senegal, breed, genetics, food and nutrition security, capacity

Senegal dairy genetics

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Senegal dairy genetics

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