Feed resourcing and feeding is at the very interface where the positive and negative effects of livestock, income, livelihoods and environment are negotiated and animal feeding and nutrition deserves greater attention as a critical discipline in addressing the environmental impacts of animal-sourced foods production. Continue reading
Scientists from ILRI, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center and the Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research tested bread wheat cultivars released in the Ethiopian highlands to better understand the potential trade-offs between food and fodder traits. Continue reading
This extension brief by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) shares the principles of silage making that smallholder farmers can use to make forage for feeding animals in dry seasons. Continue reading
For better livestock production and productivity, it is essential to assess the genetic diversity of the food which is fed to livestock. One of the main food sources for livestock in East Africa is Napier grass. Continue reading
Livestock productivity in Ethiopia is much lower than the existing potential due shortages of quality feed in the country. However, adopting grain legumes can help boost annual production with concomitant increase in grain legumes residues. Continue reading
In Europe intensive livestock production is often seen as harmful for the environment and animal welfare – think of cattle fed on grains which would be better used for human consumption. And producing lots of waste in concentrated areas which is difficult to deal with. In Africa, the mantra tends to be that intensification of … Continue reading
Targeting of legumes to niches in smallholder systems is the core objective of the Legume CHOICE project. Continue reading
A recent study of ‘Perceptions and practices of farmers on the utilization of sweetpotato, and other root tubers, and banana for pig feeding in smallholder crop-livestock systems in Uganda’ calls for further exploration of strategies to conserve such crop residues during the harvest period to reduce waste and improve incomes for smallholder pig farmers in Uganda. Continue reading
Feeding innovation 