Enhancing dairy feed interventions in India and Tanzania – three messages from the MilkIT project

In December 2014, the MilkIT project (Enhancing dairy-based livelihoods in India and Tanzania through feed innovation and value chain development approaches) held final workshops in Lushoto and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. On 11 December, team members met in an ‘Outreach Meeting’ with various stakeholders and partners. The aim of the meeting was to continue synthesizing the key insights of the project through interactions with a wider community. Continue reading →

Growing food and feed with less environmental impact: A dual-crop impact narrative

ILRI and its partners are developing highly productive dual-purpose crops and presenting a strong case for further, stronger collaboration between national and international crop and livestock institutions. Continue reading →

MilkIT: Enhancing dairy-based livelihoods in India through feed innovation

The MilkIT (enhancing dairy-based livelihoods in India and Tanzania through feed innovation) project comes to an end in December 2014. The project team in India recently produced a video documenting some of the project’s experiences, zooming in on innovation platforms, womens’ empowerment, and enhanced forage availability. Continue reading →

Innovation platforms as a route to dairy development in India

The International Livestock Research Institute has adopted an innovation platform approach as a route to dairy development in the hills of Uttarakhand. Continue reading →

Innovation Platforms as a tool for smallholder dairy development: Experiences from Uttarakhand in India

At last week’s Tropentag 2014 conference Thanammal Ravichandran, Nils Teufel and Alan Duncan gave a presentation on the use of innovation platforms in the ‘milkIT’ project in India. The study evaluates the process of IP functioning and conflict management through a qualitative “innovation storyline”. The IP meetings were regularly documented with details of issues discussed, actions planned and follow up activities. Continue reading →

Impact of feed technologies on livestock production in India: Poster summaries from four studies

These posters, prepared for the Tropentag 2014 conference, highlight livestock feeds and milk marketing challenges in India and research by ILRI and partners towards addressing them. Continue reading →

Dairy intensification in Ethiopia and India – how do they compare?

We recently published some work comparing dairy feeding and breeding practices among smallholders in Ethiopia and India. Continue reading →

Selecting appropriate feed technologies to support livestock intensification in Uttarakhand, India

In Uttarakhand, feed is one of the most limiting constraints to livestock intensification. Although many nutritional technologies are available to improve the quantity and quality of feed and fodder, or to plug seasonal shortages, farmers seldom use these new interventions because, for instance, women who rear animals are already fully loaded with existing domestic and agricultural work, farmers lack access to credit for feed-based investments, or farmers are uncertain which technologies are most appropriate to them. Continue reading →

MilkIT India advisory council reviews project plans, sites, partners

On 1 June, members of the MilkIT project advisory council held their first meeting in Dehradun. Nils Teufel of the International Livestock Research Institute introduced the project and its intended activities. View the presentation:   The subsequent question and answer session generated lively exchanges; the main questions – with answers – included: 1. What is … Continue reading →

Inception of a new project on livestock feed development for dairy value chains in India and Tanzania

Following completion of the IFAD-funded Fodder Adoption Project, IFAD recently agreed to fund a further project on feed enhancement for dairy value chains in India and Tanzania. The project will be implemented by ILRI with CIAT as a major partner. We are calling the project MilkIT (Milk in India and Tanzania) and the grant agreement … Continue reading →