This CD: a new 'toolbox' has been developed to make it easier for organizations to provide easy-to-understand information to anyone involved in smallholder dairy production. Known as the Smallholder Dairy Toolbox (SDTB), its software allows users to access useful information and provide it in formats that are appropriate to a whole range of stakeholders - from farmers and delivery agents to planners and policy makers. The toolbox is intended to overcome the fact that the training and information materials currently available are often inadequate and difficult to access - especially for farmers and extension workers who have very little spare time.

Presents study carried out on improving smallholder farmers'; marketed supply and market access for dairy products in Arsi Zone, Ethiopia. The main obective of this study was to provide a comprehensive review documenting dairy supply and demand and the role of collective action in Arsi Zone/Ethiopia. The specific objectives were to assess current and prospective demand for milk and milk products in Asella (the zonal headquarters) and Adama; to assess the current milk production, consumption and marketing behaviour of farmers in selected woredas taking both participants and non-participants in farmer milk cooperatives in order to asses current and prospective supply of milk; and to assess the role of collective action, e.g. farmer groups and other possible forms in overcoming problems of remunerative marketing and market access by smallholder milk producers, with a particular focus on the role and implications of gender.

The aim of the set of modules is to cover useful elements of AWM from estimating runoff at micro and small watershed level up to irrigated field water management. The modules thus aim at covering water availability estimnation, water control and management, soil-water-plant relationship, water lifting and conveyance and irrigation methods. Each module is divided into a number of chapters and illustrated with figures, tables charts and examples. The modules are also useful as a reference and teaching material at technical, vocational, educational, and training centres and as a field guide. The publication extensively use existing knowledge in the form of texts, figures, demonstration materials derived from various sources such as books, grey literature such as web material, reports, manuals etc. specifically they have immensely used materials from FAO, ICRISAT and IWMI documentations with or without citation to the specific references.

This manual is effective from January 2009. It replaces all previously issued regulations, guidelines, memos and statements regarding training at ILRAD, ILCA and ILRI to provide a written reference to policies and procedures for training at ILRI; to describe the responsibilities of all those involved in designing, supervising and organizing training at ILRI; to ensure that ILRI provides training of high quality; to ensure that the ILRI training program is transparent, administered uniformly and easily accessible for all partners.

The objective of this publication is to analyse the causes of declining market share of Sudanese sheep and sheep meat in the Middle East market, especially in the Saudi market, by examining the constraints in the export supply chains. The following major factors are hypothesized to explain constraints limiting export to Saudi Arabia: there are specific export requirements for quality assurance and safety of Sudanese sheep and sheep meat, and there are rules and procedures in place in Sudan to test, certify and assure supply of quality and safe animals and meat to the Saudi importers. However, these are inadequate and inefficient to match the SPS standards of the importing country; multiple intermediaries are involved along the market chains resulting in several points of taxation along the value chains; this leads to increased transaction costs which lower competitiveness; domestic livestock markets are spatially integrated and therefore can respond quickly to varying import demand requirements. A market chain framework linking producers and importers through the intermediate markets and actors was used to analyse these factors. Both secondary and primary survey data were used to generate evidence on these factors.

This research report presents an analysis of the problems encountered in the milk markets in Ghana and Tanzania. It is based on a study carried out during 1999 and 2000 to identify and quantify the public health risks and economic performance in dairy product markets in these two countries. The study was led by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Scientists from the University and Technology (Kumasi, Ghana), the Animal Research Institute (Accra, Ghana), Sokoine University of Agriculture (Morogoro, Tanzania) and the Natural Resources Institute (UK) collaborated in implementing the study. Funding was obtained from the UK Department for International Development-Livestock Production Programme (DFID-LPP). This report is divided into an executive summary and a main section. The summary highlights the methodology used and the main outcomes of the research. Chapter 2 addresses market mechanisms and efficiency and contains the results of the economic and structural analysis. The key findings and achievements of the study. The main report gives a detailed account of the markets. Chapter 3 deals with the milk-borne public health risks, and focuses on the results of laboratory testing of milk and dairy product samples; this chapter also uses some of the economic results in the analysis. Processing of traditional dairy products is the topic addressed in Chapter 4, with a focus on the traditional fresh cheese, wagashi, in Ghana. Chapter 5 presents the impacts of the training activities conducted during the study while Chapter 6 indicates ways in which the project contributed to meeting the research goal. The project team hopes that the technologies and strategies developed in this study will inform development in other similar production and market systems.

Despite the large livestock population in Ethiopia, the sector’s contribution at the micro or macro level is well below its potential due to various reasons, notably feed shortage and diseases, compounded by inefficiencies in the livestock input and output markets. Feed marketing studies are scarce in Ethiopia. This study is aimed at assessing the feed marketing system in Ethiopia to generate a general understanding of the feed supply and demand characteristics, feed marketing, feed prices, market places, market actors, and market institutions. The types of fodder supplied in the country differ from place to place depending on the type of crops grown as conditioned by the agro-climatic conditions. Buyers and sellers have various perceptions about the quality of the fodder supplied to the market. There are competing uses of crop residues and hay in Ethiopia. Crop residues and hay are transported in a variety of ways. Most of the crop residues are retailed in the open market. Hay is mostly sold in situ. Agro-industrial by-products from flour and edible oil mills, grind mills and local brewery are sold in all of the study areas. There are about 15 feed mixers and millers in the country as observed during the study period. However, only five of them are manufacturing purely for sale; others produce for own consumption and to sell surpluses. Feed prices are rising sharply. Available price data indicated that there are significant price differences between farm gate and wholesale prices of crop residues and hay. Among the crop residues teff straw is most expensive. Among agroindustrial by-products, linseed cake is most expensive, followed by cotton seed cake. Most of the feed trading is informal. Implications to improve the feed marketing system are drawn.

Presents study carried out to evaluate how different households have fared over time in the communities. The aim of the study was to determine the proportions of households that Why is it some households fall into poverty at the same time others are escaping poverty? The study presents results from a study of poverty dynamics across Kenya using a participatory poverty assessment methodology known as the ‘Stages of Progress Methodology.’ This method is a relatively rapid, effective and participatory way to learn about poverty processes at both community and household levels. The approach generates very useful information for identifying the poor, and for understanding the factors that push people into and pull them out of poverty. Using this methodology, the typical stages through which people progress out of poverty were elicited for 71 Kenyan communities and 4773 households. The discussion of the different stages, and the order in which they occur, provoked lively debate among assembled villagers. The findings show that in virtually all 71 communities, house-holds progress out of poverty first by acquiring food, followed by obtaining adequate clothing, making improvements in their shelter, securing primary education for their children, starting small businesses. The paper presents the results of recent investigations, carried out specifically to gain knowledge about the reasons underlying poverty. Reasons for escape and reasons for descent operating in each livelihood region of Kenya were identified through a careful examination of poverty dynamics.

This publications presents study on decision-support tool for prevention and control of Rift Valley fever epizootics in the Greater Horn of Africa. The decision-support tool consists of four elements, viz. a map of areas in the GHA at risk from RVF epizootics; a list of the sequence of events related to increasing and decreasing risk of an RVF epizootic in the GHA; actions matched to the sequence of events listed in 2; and the selected information, resources and references. This tool is designed to help decision-makers lower the risk to themselves, their governments and citizens by taking action commensurate with the level of risk at the right time. As the sequence of events progresses, the probability that an RVF epizootic will occur increases; the justification for taking actions to mitigate the risk also increases, and the risk of taking unjustified actions decreases. The document further details sequence of events related to increasing and decreasing risk of an RVF epizootic in the Greater Horn of Africa, with partic. ref. to normal situation between outbreaks; early warning of RVF issued and/or early warning of heavy rain by national meteorological departments; localized, prolonged heavy rains reported by eye-witnesses; localized flooding reported by eye-witnesses; localized mosquito swarms reported by eye-witnesses; first detection of suspected RVF in livestock by active searching and/or rumors from herders; laboratory confirmation of RVF cases in livestock; first rumor or field report of human RVF case; laboratory confirmation of first human RVF case; no new human cases for six months; no clinical livestock cases for six months; and post-outbreak recovery and reflection.

In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the increasing competition for water between various sectors is aggravated by growing demands for water, climate change and environmental degradation. One of the major consumers of water is livestock keeping, which is an important livelihood strategy for smallholder farmers in Africa. The water consumption for livestock production is currently increasing with the growing demands for livestock products. On the other hand, current low returns from livestock, limit its contribution to livelihoods, threaten environmental health and aggravate local conflicts. The objectives of this review are to (1) bring together the available knowledge in the various components of the livestock and water sectors, (2) identify promising strategies and interventions to improve the situation using the “livestock water productivity” (LWP) concept, and (3) identify critical research and development gaps. Improvements in LWP can lead to a positive impact on poverty reduction, resilience and environmental health, provided that interventions are well-targeted, community innovation and empowerment is achieved and appropriate dissemination and communication lead to awareness and adoption. Promising interventions are grouped in two domains. In the biophysical domain, numerous interventions related to feed, water and animal management can be applied to increase LWP. These should be complemented and integrated with interventions in the socio-political-economic domain. Enhancing the capacity of local institutions, improving market incentives and facilitating socioeconomic arrangements form part of the institutional improvements. A conducive policy framework, taking into account equity and gender and geared towards problem-solving local policies, improvements in infrastructure, price signals and land tenure systems, is a prerequisite for the successful application of the LWP concept. However, for the LWP concept to be widely applicable, knowledge gaps have to be filled, in terms of methodologies for quantifying water productivity and integrating animal, herd, farm, water catchment and basin scales. This paper suggests approaches for the integration of technological, policy and institutional interventions that would contribute to making the LWP concept operational.

The ILRI financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2008 starts with statement of purpose, statement by the chairman of board of trustees, board statement on risk management and statement of management's responsibilities. It then presents consolidated and institute statements, viz., statement of activities outlinings revenue and gains, expenses and losses, and expenses by natural classification; statement, financial position, presents assets, liabilities and net assets; and the statements are statements of changes in net assets and statement of cash flows respectively. The document continues with notes to the consolidated financial statements and ends with exhibits on schedule of unrestricted grant revenue, schedule of program restricted grant revenue, schedule of furnishings and equipment, and schedule of direct and indirect cost rates.

This study presents the findings from Tunisia of a previous research project Small ruminant health: Improved livelihoods and market opportunities for poor farmers in the Near East and North Africa (NENA) region. This project used a market supply chain approach to study possible ways of improving the livelihoods of keepers of small ruminants through better animal health and market access and responding to consumer demand for quality of products. Consumers’ increased demand for healthy animal-source food has resulted from increased income and awareness about food safety, mainly following the outbreak of illnesses such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) and avian influenza. The supply-chain approach addresses the farm-to-table continuum and analyzes the linkages between the different supply chain actors. First, farm-and flock-level incidences of major animal health factors affecting market access and market price of animals were assessed through epidemiological survey. Abortion was found to be the major animal health factor that limited market supply and access by reducing productivity. Therefore, the seroprevalence and associated health costs of major abortive diseases that may have an impact on human health were assessed. Second, along the market supply channels, the impact of animal health and other market imperfections on farmers’ access to the market was analyzed. Third, consumer perception of the quality of animal products was evaluated in order to guide producers to respond accordingly to market demand. Finally, a small enterprise business plan was presented to show the role and viability of farmer associations as a response to the current evolution in the food delivery system. The findings from the various surveys are presented in six chapters as follows. The first chapter highlights the main diseases at flock and individual levels; the second chapter discusses the performance of farmers in terms of animal health, in light of the direct links between good animal health, improved livestock productivity and enhanced incomes for farmers; the third chapter discusses the assessment of the efficiency of small ruminant markets by a transaction costs approach; the fourth chapter also discusses the market system but focuses on the marketing channels in order to identify the marketing constraints that small ruminant farmers face, based on the relationship between farmers’ characteristics, choice of market location, transaction costs and animal health status; the fifth chapter discusses a survey of consumer perceptions of the quality of meat products which influence purchase decisions; and chapter 6 presents a business plan for a small ruminant enterprise to address the problems of poor access to markets and animal health services. The business plan aims to empower small farmers from the Seltene community by pooling their resources to improve commercial and financial efficiency. The business plan also presents opportunities to manage natural resources collectively while gaining market power via collective bargaining. Groups may take advantage of available resources and potential synergies amongst them. A group business plan would create a viable structure and collective work tradition to face the challenges of market competition, changing trends in demand and collective management of natural resources.

Discussion sur l’etude des politiques relatives aux strategies de gestion de la chimioresistance dans le cadre de la lutte contre la trypanosomose en Afrique de l’Ouest, Mali. Le projet a pour ohjectif d’assurer l’efficacité des trypanocides comme une composante effective des strategies intégrées et améliorées de contrôle de Ia trypanosomose animale dans Ia region ouest-africaine. Pour atteindre cet objectif, des organisations nationales de recherche et de developpement, des institutions internationales et régionales de recherche, et des universités allemandes travaillent en partenariat afin de développer aux niveaux local et regional des strategies de reduction de risque de Ia chimiorésistance. L’accent est mis principalement sur l‘information et des supports techniques aux paysans, aux prestataires de service en sante animale, aux vétérinaires professionnels et aux décideurs politiques. Les informations et supports techniques ont pour but de promouvoir Ia lutte intégrée et l’utilisation rationnelle des trypanocides afin de réduire les risques a long terme de Ia chimiorésistance sans compromettre Ia capacité des éleveurs a pouvoir protéger leurs animaux contre les effets néfastes de la trypanosomose animale. Le projet est réalisé au Burkina Faso, au Mali et en Guinée par l’lnstitut International de Recherche sur l’Elevage (lLRl) en collaboration avec d’autres organisations. Des approaches de solutions sont alors proposees de maniere a apporter une solution durable au phenomene de la chimioresistance.

This paper reviews the literature on smallholder commercialization. It explores the conceptual developments in smallholder commercialization, methodological advancements in measuring the degree of agricultural commercialization at household level, and the impacts of commercialization on different socio-conomic groups. The paper also investigates policy recommendations made by different authors aimed at facilitating the smooth process of transforming smallholder agriculture from subsistence system to a fully commercialized farming. Based on the review, the paper throws light on conceptual and methodological gaps in relation to smallholder commercialization, and finally, draws general conclusions and directions for future research.

Today's science and development issues are complex, often involving multiple international players, yet demanding local solutions. Increasingly, many acknowledge that such local solutions can best be summed up and communicated by showing local people talking in their own surroundings, especially in a world where few outside the research communities have the time or expertise to assess raw data. In this setting, science and development documentaries fill a vital role. The film department at ILRI (the International Livestock Research Institute) therefore aims to widen understanding of important topics that face pro-poor agricultural research in livestock issues, so removing one stumbling-block to the quick up-take of new technologies among those who could benefit most. These three films (length about 18 minutes) deals with pig and dairy marketing in northeast India. It indicates that the people now have a chance to improve their lives because demand for pork meat and dairy products is sky-rocketing across this region.

This publication presents finding of a rapid appraisal of institutions supporting livestock trade and marketing in Somalia. The study was carried to: identify institutions supporting livestock trade and marketing in the country; evaluate the roles played by these institutions in facilitating livestock trade and marketing information flow; application of grades and standards in livestock trade, and livestock export marketing promotional activities; assess the level of networking among these institutions while facilitating livestock export trade and marketing; analyze constraints faced by these institutions in executing their activities. It was anticipated that this will be useful in designing supportive infrastructure to enable them play an effective role in improving livestock trade and marketing through enhanced accountability and competence. Emphasis was put on organizations involved in livestock marketing information flow, application of grades and standards in livestock products, and, livestock export promotion. This study identifi ed some forms of organizations supporting livestock export trade in Somalia, viz. brokers, veterinary services delivery systems, port authorities, livestock shipping firms, money transfer services, local government and regional administrations that were in-charge of livestock markets, central government, and a variety of private traders associations. These organisations supported the principal market participants: the small-scale traders, agents of exporters, and exporters in their trial to make effective livestock export trade. The organizations operated under a set of rules and procedures that influenced their activities in facilitating livestock. However, it was noted that there was limited capacity to enforce adherence to some of the rules and regulations by these organizations. This appraisal recognized that although there exist informal grading system based on a number of attributes (age of animal, sex of animal, nutritional status, weight and size, breed and health status), none of the identified institutions was engaged in overt activities to develop further and publicize application of these grades in livestock trade. This was noted to persist despite the general knowledge that suitable grading would significantly promote trade. This appraisal established that currently, the main centre of attention of the public sector is at the ports of exit. In these ports, the government implements a rudimentary animal health certifi cation system, based on clinical inspection of animals prior to loading. There are also some instances of monitoring in some of the secondary markets. Implementation of an effective health and certification system is constrained by limited capacity, both human and physical within the respective institutions and by the absence of a central veterinary administration that is recognized internationally. These constraints need urgent redress to guarantee participation in livestock export trade by Somali traders. It is important to note that a certification system put in place should also be cost effective and easy to apply in order to be sustainable.

This publication presents study carried out to provide empirical information that informs the debate and decision making process towards improving livestock trade and marketing in Somalia by enabling the development of effective and efficient marketing support services and accountable and competent rural institutions. The study focuses mainly on objectives which are to generate information that could be used to improve livestock export marketing institutions and support services. The study was conducted to: standardize quality and the criteria used for grading livestock for export; identify hazard analysis critical control points (HACCPs) along marketing chains; develop and formalize quality control systems; link primary, district & regional markets more effectively; reduce transactions costs for traders; increase competitiveness for producers; strengthen the regulatory role of local administrators; and to develop and disseminate relevant market information to stakeholders.

The Ethiopian live animal and meat export marketing system is operating in an environment characterized by several constraints that needs the attention and action of the government and other non-governmental development organizations. Despite the reported high livestock population of the country, the major meat and live animal exporters are complaining of shortage of supply and inferior quality of animals (especially shoats). The problem could be because of the constraints in the marketing system of exporters themselves, the market information system, poor market infrastructures like road, seasonality in production, competition of the domestic and the export sector, problems in the production system, or a combination of several factors. Thus, it is imperative to identify the major factors contributing to the reported supply shortage that has hindered smooth functioning of the Ethiopian live animal and meat export market and take appropriate action as much as possible. This study, therefore, characterizes live animal and meat export value chains to determine constraints and opportunities for enhancing the efficiency of meat export from Ethiopia. The study was conducted using a Rapid Market Appraisal (RMA), which is a method that offers a quick and effective means for: learning about the main characteristics of the marketing system; mapping the supply chains, understanding constraints and opportunities, and generating information as a basis for designing follow-up research such as focused survey of value chain components and actors.

The study was carried out in three highland woredas (districts) of Chilga, Dembia and Gondar Zuria in north Gondar Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia. These woredas were purposively selected because of their long experience in transhumance cattle production system. The objectives of the study were to characterize the transhumance cattle production system, identify the major constraints and forward appropriate developmental interventions for the future. Informal and formal surveys were employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data. From these woredas, a total of 180 representative households from 9 rural kebeles were selected using systematic random sampling methods. Semi-structured questionnaires and topical guidelines (checklists) were used to collect data. The results revealed that livestock production system in the highlands is characterized by mixed crop–livestock production and rainy season transhumance production system. Transhumance production system was practised mainly into the lowland areas. The major reasons why cattle were trekked to the lowlands were availability of feed (99.2%), free land for stocking (92.4%), low disease risk (25.0%) and availability of non-waterlogged areas (0.8%). Preferred locations were Metema (84.0%), Armachiho (9.6%), and Quara (4.0%) woredas, while very low percentages considered Alefa and Chilga woredas (0.8% each). The months when cattle movement started were May (69.5%), June (29.6%) and April (0 .8%), and the months of returned home were October (45.8%) and September (35.9%). Three major cattle trekking routes were identified, and the selection of routes depended on distance, availability of forage and non-crop covered areas. The first destination is Agamwuha kebele (Lemlem Terara) in Metema district, irrespective of the routes followed. About 60.3% of the cattle population of the three woredas was trekked to the lowlands during the rainy season. The number of cattle owners and the size of cattle population involved in one group were 4.3 ± 0.18 farmers and 58.8 ± 3.89 heads, respectively. The average daily milk off-take, lactation yield and lactation length of indigenous cows in the three studied areas was about 2.0 ± 0.07 litres, 540 ± 21.05 litres, and 8.9 ± 0.16 months, respectively. The mean age at first calving (AFC) and calving interval (CI) was 5.2 ± 0.30 years and 19.0 ± 0.38 months, respectively, while mean calf crop was 7.4 ± 0.47 heads. The average weaning age of calves was almost one year, being 11.6 ± 0.26 months. In the lowlands, milking, butter making and selling of dairy products were performed only by male herders. In the highland areas, butter (95.6%) was one of the most important saleable dairy products followed by raw milk (18.4%), fermented milk (ergo) and buttermilk (6.1%). However, during the transhumance period, butter (95.3%) was the major marketable commodity followed by raw milk (61.3%), buttermilk (18.9%) and fermented milk (14.2%). Highlanders also market dry cows, oxen, heifers and young bullocks during their stay inthe lowlands. The major constraints identified by the highlanders were conflict with the lowlanders, cattle theft, human and livestock diseases, and lack of markets. Most of the respondents (86.3%) estimated that the trend of transhumance has been increasing due to feed shortage (50.4%), expansion of crop cultivation (27.4%) and increasing cattle population (21.2%) in the highlands. Human population has also been increasing both in the highlands and lowlands, and the current infrastructure development in the lowlands (tarmac road, electricity, phone etc.) will further encourage more migration to the lowlands. The conflict over resources will intensify, probably leading to the demise of this production system unless alterative development strategies, such as intensification of the production system in the highlands and development of feed conservation and marketing in the lowlands are devised.

This paper discusses the rural HIV epidemic in the context of the Improving Productivity and Market Successes (IPMS) of Ethiopian Farmers' Project being implemented by the International Livestock Research Institute and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Its purpose is to contribute to the knowledge base about HIV/AIDS in the agricultural sector by, firstly, increasing understanding about the HIV/AIDS in the context of rural communities and, secondly, identifying opportunities to minimize the risk of HIV infection and mitigate the impacts of AIDS in rural communities through market-led agricultural initiatives A fieldwork was conducted to examine three questions: What are the sources of risk of HIV infection and who is at risk? To what extent does AIDS already impact rural communities and their livelihood systems? What might a production and market-oriented project, such as IPMS, offer to address the epidemic? The first section of this working paper is introduction. The second section examines three sources of risk of infection associated with the urban hinterland, the movement of people into and from rural communities, and cultural traditions and practices within rural communities, and concludes with a summary of risk by person. The third section draws on field experience from the PLWs (Pilot Learning Woreda) to demonstrate the potential effect of market-led agricultural growth on hastening the spread of HIV by examining six principal commodity value chains, namely cereals, oilseeds, spices, vegetables, coffee and livestock. The extent to which AIDS has already impacted the rural communities in the 10 PLWs is examined in section four, and sources of vulnerability to future impacts of AIDS are identified. The final section summarizes the main implications of the disease for IPMS and discusses a range of opportunities for reducing the risk of HIV infection and mitigating the impacts of AIDS by improving agricultural productivity and market linkages. They are illustrated with examples of innovative approaches that have been developed, field-tested and implemented by IPMS in several woredas, often in partnership with other organizations.

This report is the latest of two separate ex post impact assessments conducted by ILRI 10 years apart. It provides timely insights into the welfare impacts of a technology package introduced in the early 1990s into the crop-livestock farming system of the Ethiopian highlands rich Vertisol soils. The Broad Bed Maker (BBM) was developed in the late 1980s from the traditional dual oxen drawn plough, the maresha by the Joint Vertisol Project (JVP). ILRI (formerly known as ILCA) in Ethiopia was one of five collaborating institutions on this project. The aim of the JVP was to improve the productivity of 7.6 million hectares of Vertisol soils in the Ethiopian highlands - 60% of Ethiopia's total Vertisols. The BBM is a type of a plough that was developed from the traditional dual oxen drawn plough, the maresha, in order to more efficiently make raised seedbeds and furrows at the time of seed covering - thus reducing water logging and encouraging early planting of improved cereals which could then be followed by a second pulse crop in the same growing season. The most important lessons learned from both ex post impact assessments for the Ethiopian government and research institutions like ILRI is discussed. ILRI's first ex post impact assessment (EPIA) of the BBM TP was undertaken in 1998 (Rutherford et al. 2001. This study quantitatively assessed the returns to the research investment in the Broad Bed Maker technology package using the economic surplus methodology. In terms of improving the welfare of farmers and consumers, the study found that the overall impacts were disappointing. However, some key lessons were learned in terms of constraints to the realization of the potentially significant welfare benefits this technology package offered. The first key lesson in relation to the BBM TP was that adopting and using the package exposed the farm households welfare to considerable risk. The second important lesson from the earlier assessment was that the type and quality of training received by farmers and MoA staff was often insufficient. Third, the human labour requirements and the oxen draught power were usually underestimated. Fourth, the BBM was too heavy if not used at the optimal time-particularly for oxen weakened by lack of feed and disease. Fifth, in the absence of a watershed approach to drainage, increased drainage on one plot often exacerbated water logging and erosion in neighboring plots. Ten years on, this ex post impact assessment was commissioned by ILRI to assess the current role of the same BBM TP in the sustainable utilization of Vertisol soils in Ethiopia. One major finding of the current study was that the BBM that has been extended to farmers by the MoA for the last four years is a single-beam BBM-most similar to a prototype of the double-beam BBM that was developed in the 1980s. No evidence was found of the use of the 1993/94 double-beam BBM that was the focus of the earlier ex post impact assessment so from this point forward, the term BBM refers to the single-beam BBM unless otherwise stated. While the BBM itself has evolved, the purpose for which it is used (i.e. making beds and furrows to allow early planting) has not changed between the two studies.

This study is an ex post assessment of the impact of the revised Kenya dairy policy. It outlines the policy change process, investigates induced behavioral changes at the levels of field regulators and SSMVs (small-scale milk vendors), and estimates economic impacts on producers, SSMVs and consumers. It also provides a strategic assessment of the research and coordinating roles played by ILRI, recognizing that ILRI was only one partner in a complex project with many people and organizations involved, and estimates how much of the overall gains can be attributed to this research/coordination component. It was designed to evaluate the impact of a revised Kenyan dairy policy that encouraged relevant government agencies to engage with SSMVs and, in particular, to explore and analyse the role that research/coordination played in contributing to the policy change and the net benefits to the investment in the policy research component. The study describes the policy, institutional (in the broad sense of ‘rules of the game’) and behavioral changes that have occurred in Kenya’s dairy sector and how they occurred and what role the research and coordination component of SDP (Smallholder Dairy Project) played. It quantifies transaction costs and evaluates how reduced transaction costs have impacted the prices paid by consumers and those received by producers. It measures the overall economic benefits of the policy change to consumers, producers and SSMVs, and presents a counterfactual situation, depicting what might have happened if SDP had not been implemented and the dairy policy had not changed.

This study was conducted to characterize the traditional milk production and marketing system, and to identify constraints and opportunities for further development. It was conducted in Mieso District of Oromia Regional State, located 300 km east of Addis Ababa and at about 200 km east of Adama. Five rural kebeles, Dire Kalu, Gena, Huse Mendera, Hunde Misoma and Welda Jejeba, that have milk production potential were selected. Farmers/agro-pastoralists from each rural kebele were also selected. Group discussion was conducted with key informants such as elders and experts in the Office of Pastoral and Rural Development to have an overview of the overall milk production and marketing system. The information generated in participatory rural appraisal phases was used for the preparation and development of a questionnaire for the formal survey. The formal survey was conducted by trained enumerators in 2005/06 using 120 farmers. To capture gender effects in the overall production system, the sample household on each rural kebele was stratified into female-and male-headed households. For the market study, from the three existing market sites, Mieso and Asebot markets were purposively selected. Milk marketing was monitored during the rainy and the dry seasons. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the amount of milk delivered, price and number of individuals who sell milk. During the monitoring phase, a diagnostic survey was undertaken to identify households that have lactating cows and/or camels in the selected five rural kebeles. There were generally two types of milk outlets identified in the district. These are traditional milk associations or groups and individual sellers. Feed scarcity, water shortage, security problem and limited access to veterinary services were identified as the major problems to dairy production and mortality due to diseases was also identified as a major cause of loss in cattle. The paper concludes with recommendations.

In spite of the policy decision of the Government of Ethiopia (GoE) to commercialize subsistence agriculture, there is a dearth of information on the commercialization process and marketing behaviour of smallholders in Ethiopia. This paper attempts to contribute to redressing this gap of knowledge for the cereal crops of teff, wheat and rice; the pulse crops of haricot beans and chickpea; and an oil crop (niger seed). Data for the study was collected from districts where these crops are important market-oriented commodities. Analysis of the variation in market participation of households in these crops in areas where the crops are already important market-oriented commodities offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into the determinants of the commercialization behaviour of households. About 65–77% of households produce these market-oriented commodities on about 27–44% of the total cultivated area. About 47–60% of the produce of these market-oriented commodities is sold. The important market places for producers of these commodities are the district town markets and markets located at the peasant associations (PA). Markets in other district towns or regional markets are rarely used by producers. Wholesalers and retailers are the most important buyers from producers. Econometric analyses show that market orientation of households is affected by factors related to household demographic characteristics, human and physical capital endowment, distance to markets, institutional support services, and village level factors of population density, agricultural labour wage and rainfall. Our results imply that market interventions to improve the gains to producers need to target district level markets. Special attention is required to female-headed households in the process of commercial transformation of subsistence agriculture. The comparative advantage of female-headed households may not be in grain production. Population control measures may contribute to commercial transformation of subsistence agriculture through their effect of reducing household subsistence requirements. Improving the operations of factor markets of land, traction and farm labour could contribute to enhancing market orientation of farm households. Alternatively, institutional arrangements to improve household access to land and traction power could contribute to market orientation of households. Market access remains an important factor for market orientation of households, implying the need for interventions to develop market infrastructure. The extension and credit services that were designed to achieve food security objectives need to be re-examined to adopt them to the policy of commercial transformation of subsistence agriculture Ethiopia is following. In particular, the institutionalization and development of marketing extension services warrants emphasis.

This study is conducted to evaluate the inherent capacity of the Livestock Farmer Field Schools (LFFS) approach to contribute to the development goals of VSF-Belgium in Turkana, Kenya; to evaluate current strengths and weaknesses of the community-based primary animal health care system in Turkana; to evaluate the appropriateness, and the likely success, of combining the role of Community Animal Health Worker (CAHW) and LFFS facilitator; and to assess the initial performance of Community Farmer Field School Animal Health Facilitators in 10 pilot LFFS sites and evaluate opportunities for scaling-up of the LFFS model. The report is divided into nine sections. Section 1 provides an overview of traditional pastoralism in Turkana. Section 2 examines the acute livelihood challenges faced by pastoralists. Section 3 summarizes the history of key livelihood interventions in Turkana. Section 4 is divided into two subsections: (a) evaluates the role of International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) in catalysing the re-establishment of a primary animal health care system in Turkana and in promoting Community Animal Health Workers (CAHWs) as the cornerstone of this system, and (b) provides an overview of the Farmer Field Schools (FFS) approach. Section 5 explores the possibility of combining the CAHWs and FFS approach in the form of Community Farmer Field School Animal Health facilitators. Section 6 provides an initial assessment of the CAHWs/LFFS Facilitator approach in Turkana. Section 7 provides a conclusion to the report, and Sections 8 and 9 suggest recommendations on the way forward and future research needs, respectively. The report also includes recommendations and future research needs.

This report describes a study of the principal animal health problems in central and southern parts of Turkana South District, with particular emphasis on their relative importance, factors that promote their occurrence and persistence, and the perceived impact of intervention measures applied previously by the Turkana Livestock Development Program (TLDP). The study was conceived and supported by VSF Belgium, a non-governmental organization (NGO) which is implementing the TLDP. The first phase of the program was implemented between 2000 and 2005, and the second phase was initiated in 2006. The overall objective of the first phase, which occurred largely in Turkana Central (Turkwell, Loima and Kerio Divisions), was to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable pastoral communities through enhanced livestock production, increased access to water, improved marketing opportunities and peace building initiatives. The second phase of the program builds on the achievements of the TLDP I and seeks to expand the target area to include Turkana South (Kainuk, Katilu, Lokichar and Lokori Divisions). The study utilized participatory epidemiological techniques to capture and prioritize animal health problems observed in the target area. Topics of discussion include livestock species and benefits received from them; livestock diseases and interventions; effect of nomadic pastoralism on disease persistence and transmission; impacts of conflicts on livestock husbandry and disease occurrence and persistence; livestock species and disease priorities; disease control; access and utilization of veterinary inputs; community animal health workers; pastoralism and transboundary disease; and conflict and animal health care.

This year's annual report in addition to the 2007 research work also covers key events in the first half of 2008, particularly matters pertaining to the continuing global food price crisis. There is a special section on the record-high food prices; and an introduction to ILRI's 'Improving Market Opportunities' Theme. This annual report comprises three chapters, viz., East Africa; South Asia; and Southern Africa. The first chapter on East Africa looks into the impacts of Kenya's Smallholder Dairy Project; East Africa Dairy Development Project; the index-based livestock insurance; and combating elephant grass diseases crippling East Africa's dairy farmers. A debate on diversifying pastoral livelihoods is also presented. Chapter 2, South Asia, deals with a comprehensive study of the Assam dairy sector and discusses topics including smallholder pig systems for a 'forgotten corner' of India; milk quality in the traditional dairy systems of Assam, India; feeding India's booming feed markets; and a new strategy for Asian smallholder dairy. Topics of discussion in chapter 3, Southern Africa, include ILRI in Southern Africa: the context and priorities for engagement; reducing the vulnerability of livestock peoples of southern Africa: saving lives and livelihoods; coping strategies and endgames; commercializing livestock markets in drought-prone southern Africa; livestock-based adaptations to climate change; early detection, response and surveillance for avian influenza in Africa; and foot-and-mouth disease global 'roadmap' launched to help developing-country farmers. This year’s annual report is presented primarily in web rather than printed format for greater cost-effectiveness and ease of use.

This workshop was conducted to address the importance of pig keeping to the livelihoods of millions of poor people in Asia and the Pacific particularly in southeast Asia. It deals with questions like - what is the role of research and of the research and development (R&D) community in ensuring that the poor benefit? And if researchable issues are addressed and development interventions identified, what are the best ways of ensuring that the answers are applied as quickly and effectively as possible? Drivers of change that affect pig systems and the poor in Asia were identified and discussed and emerging issues and new ways of working in the R&D community were identified. These sources of innovation and change were discussed in the context of development outcomes that directly affect the poor. The report is organized in three parts, viz, pig systems, livelihoods and poverty; facilitating interventions and innovation in production systems and markets; and facilitating innovation in R&D institutions and knowledge management.

The focus of this study is to identify the livelihood activities that produce the major share of household income as well as to identify the livelihood pathways and strategies, and the role of livestock in these activities and strategies over a six year period. The paper is organized as follows. Section one is Introduction; Section 2 describes the methodology and data. Section 3 examines the extent of movements into and out of poverty amongst the sample households. Sections 4 and 5 describe the extent of destitution, vulnerability, viability and sustainability in connection with livelihood pathways. Section 6 examines the factors associated with economic/poverty status. Section 7 summarises the role of livestock in these livelihood connections. Finally, the paper draws some policy conclusions and recommendations and discusses the future direction of research.

This strategy takes into account the new market opportunities being created for small-scale livestock producers by increasing local and global demand for high-quality livestock products (termed the Livestock Revolution) and the many pathways by which livestock has traditionally reduced poverty. Specific research programs address: 1 the vulnerability of livestock producers to income loss when their livestock assets are lost to disease or inadequate forage and water as well as their vulnerability to zoonotic diseases; 2 the challenge of sustainable intensification of smallholder livestock systems for increased productivity; and 3 the potential for sustainable increases in income from expanding markets for safe, high-quality, and affordable livestock products. In addition to coordinating the CGIAR Systemwide Livestock Research program, which enables all centres to collaborate in research on a range of cross-cutting livestock problems, ILRI pursues its research agenda through four inter-related projects relating to the outcomes. Project 1. Targeting and Innovation. Project 2. Improving Market Opportunities. Project 3. Biotechnology - Biosciences and bioinformatics for animal health and genetics. Project 4. People, Livestock and the Environment. Within each theme, research is implemented in three operating projects that focus on research outcomes in the medium term (58 years). These operating projects are further elaborated. Since its preparation of the 2008-2010 MTP, ILRI has continued to implement important initiatives that were highlighted in that MTP: establishment of the Biosciences east and central Africa (BecA) platform, alignment with ICRAF in corporate and research support services, expanded human resource capacity development; and others. Drawing on recommendations from the External Program Management Review (EPMR), partners, the Board of Trustees, and various Center-Commissioned External Reviews (CCERs), ILRI has, since the 2008-2010 MTP: sharpened the focus of Projects 1 and 4; reshaped its vaccine program; expanded its efforts in West and southern Africa and South/Southeast Asia; and closed research activities in Latin America, redefining its role in that region to support of programs led by others. The major changes in ILRI's portfolio since the 2008-2010 MTP are also highlighted. Changes from previous MTP Outputs are also summerised.

This study assesses the livestock market access and opportunities in Turkana, Kenya. Section one is introduction and it characterises traditional nomadic pastoralism in Turkana and discusses the changing character of nomadic pastoralism in the contemporary period. Section two characterizes people and livestock in Turkana. It determines the human and livestock populations and estimates the spread of both human and livestock populations as well as livestock numbers per household. This is followed by a section that estimates the livestock carrying capacity of distinct bio-physical zones (rangeland units). This is followed by a section that introduces the traditional livestock marketing systems in Turkana. The livestock marketing systems were characterized through an extensive literature review and field research during the first quarter of 2006. Then the report focuses specifically on the problems associated with livestock marketing in Turkana, including the subsistence of pastoralists, weak market infrastructure, structural inefficiencies and high transaction costs, low and variable producer prices, and the lack of political capital amongst both livestock producers and livestock traders. Then it characterizes contemporary livestock marketing in Turkana. It begins by outlining a relational typology of livestock markets and then goes on to characterize the main markets and local demand focusing on a detailed characterization of livestock flows, both within and outside the district. A range of options/recommendations that have the potential to increase the number of pastoralists profitably accessing livestock markets in Turkana are presented. This section stresses the need for quality research to underpin rational and sustainable interventions in livestock marketing in Turkana. It addresses the need to fill key knowledge gaps.

This study assesses the contributions of livestock to risk management and coping strategies and to identify livestock-centred interventions that can be used to save lives and livelihoods in crisis and emergency situations in selected countries of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC). The specific objectives are to analyse the roles of livestock in household livelihood strategies; to examine different sources of risks and household risk management and coping strategies, paying particular attention to livestock-based strategies; to identify emergency response interventions including targeted livestock interventions for reducing food insecurity and vulnerability; and to provide a framework for identifying guiding principles for linking livelihood analysis, project and program design, and implementation in emergency situations. The countries covered in this study are Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia. The ratio of vulnerability to food insecurity appears to be growing in all of these countries with vulnerable households facing dwindling food stocks and rising prices of staple food at the time of the study (UN-RIACSO 2005).

The main purpose of this report is to characterize the extent of livelihood diversification in Turkana and, through the application of a case study approach, illustrate some of the existing activities and identify their associated strengths and weaknesses. The report also highlights both constraints and opportunities associated with the future expansion of these activities. This section is comprised of two parts. The first part, based on a literature review and two extremely knowledgeable key informants (Ann Kirya and Margret Nabuin-both belong to the Turkana District Chamber of Commerce), briefly outlines the range of diversification opportunities currently being exploited in Turkana. The second part, using insights gained through Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), highlights some of the most promising and widespread commercial diversifi cation activities in Turkana.

The 2005 'Turkana Emergency Livestock Off-take' (TELO) intervention contributed to VSFBelgium's overall goal to 'improve the socio-economic status of the pastoral communities living in arid areas of Kenya by creating markets for their livestock and improving the nutritional status of identified target populations'. The six outputs/objectives of the intervention are to increase household income (cash economy) among pastoralists; reduce pressure on water and pasture resources; increase food security for vulnerable school children; improve utilization of assets with livestock owners gaining benefit from vulnerable livestock before the condition of the livestock deteriorates beyond the point of selling; increase access to funds made available to livestock owners for future restocking and; use money saved from the school feeding program for school fees and/or other relevant projects for the pastoralists' school children. Viewed as a significant success, and used as a model for subsequent destocking interventions, it is the aim of this report to evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of this destocking intervention to highlight both strengths and weaknesses of the approach used and to suggest improvements for future destocking interventions.

This brief is a review of the research conducted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and partners in Lesotho, Malawi and Zambia aimed to assess the contribution of livestock to livelihoods and its role in risk management. The objective of the study was to identify the livelihood assets and strategies of households, taking into account differences between men and women and the contexts that translate household capabilities into livelihood opportunities. The study suggests that there are marked differences in ownership of productive assets, in livelihood strategies and in vulnerability between men and women. The results of the study showed that households in southern Africa are exposed to a variety of shocks with cumulative impacts that can trigger an emergency. The main factors contributing to vulnerability to food insecurity include drought, widespread crop failure, animal diseases and declining access to livestock service delivery. These factors affect all households in a community but in different ways.

This report presents the results of a study which appraised the pig sub-sectors of three selected districts in Nagaland state, Northeast India. It synthesises the results from the three districts - Dimapur, Mon and Phek, and a market study in Kohima, draws conclusions and makes recommendations for research and development (R&D) interventions. To ensure consistency and comparable results, the same methodology was used in each of the district appraisals in Nagaland and in a similar study carried out in five districts of Assam and in Guwahati, Assam's capital. The report is divided into five main parts. Part one is introduction. Part two looks into Nagaland, livelihoods and the pig sub-sector. It discusses rural economy and the role of pigs. Part three discusses marketing of pigs and consumption of pork. Topics of discussion include prices of pork and factors affecting demand, price trends, level of consumption, future demand, current supply chain of pigs, and pork, output market, input market, projections of demand and supply of pork, food safety issues and main issues in consumption and marketing. Part four deals with pig production systems and discusses ethnic and socio-economic distribution, production systems and their classification, breeding and reproductive management, management of feeding, health management, and main issues in production systems. Part 5 summerises policy and institutional issues including regulatory environment, government and donor participation in the pig sub-sector, delivery of livestock services, and main policy and institutional issues.

Though beekeeping is a common farming enterprise and income generating activity in Atsbi Wemberta Woreda, and promotional efforts have been made to improve it, no systematic study has been undertaken to evaluate the promotional efforts and people's response to it. The objectives of this study were to identify determinants of improved box hive adoption by the beekeepers; and to analyse financial benefits from adopting improved box hive technology in Atsbi Wemberta district of Eastern Zone, Tigray Region of Ethiopia. Stratified sampling technique was employed to identify the sample respondents, who were categorized into adopters and non-adopters of improved box hive. Based on probability proportional to size, 45 adopters and 85 non-adopters were selected. The data were collected using structured interview schedule, group discussion, key informant discussion and observation; and were analysed using descriptive statistics, partial budgeting, and logit model. Partial budgeting revealed that the net benefit from improved box hives was more than double that obtained from traditional hive. The logit model revealed that credit, knowledge, education level of household head, perception and visits to demonstrations positively and significantly influenced adoption of improved box hive. Major problems for promoting improved beekeeping practices were identified in the study area. Ranking showed that drought, honeybee pests and diseases, lack of beekeeping materials, death of colony, lack of adequate extension support, marketing problem, shortage of bee forage, lack of adequate beekeeping skill and reduction of honeybee colonies were the major constraints in the beekeeping development in their order of importance. There is a need for actors to come together for concerted and coordinated action to address the constraints and problems, as the solutions are not in the domain of any one actor. Women and landless youths can be encouraged to take up this income generating enterprise. Developing the skills of beekeepers and extension agents on bee management and utilization of beeswax through intensive training, enhancing bee forage production and utilization, integrating beekeeping with water harvesting, modifying the improved box hive to include only one super to reduce initial cost, linking honey producers to stable and reliable markets and following a participatory value chain based approach, promoting private entrepreneurs to provide additional services for value addition, promoting farmer-to-farmer knowledge sharing, and encouraging farmer groups to enhance bargaining power and create a learning environment are some initiatives that could go a long way in the sustainable development of this important economic subsector.

This DVD contains two films about the ILRI gene Bank in Ethiopia, each 10 minutes in length. The first one, 'Conserving Fodder and Forage Crops' is about saving forage crops for livestock and their keepers. The second film 'Using Fodder and Forage Crops' presents a colorful film - from germplasm to feed - putting ILRI's gene bank to work.

This document is the user's manual of DynaMod, which is a simple tool for demographic projection of tropical livestock populations. DynMod is intended to researchers, developers, engineers and technicians of national services, or students dealing with demography of tropical livestock. DynaMod represents animal populations that can be divided in juvenile, sub-adult, and adult age groups and that have a reproduction distributed all over the year. The handbook is composed of three chapters. Chapter one discusses the general principles of DynMod. Chapter two describes its interface, and chapter three presents some numerical examples of simulations. The manual ends with an appendix that details the concept of hazard rates and the equations used in the demographic model.

Climate change will have severe impacts in many parts of the tropics and subtropics. Despite the importance of livestock to poor people and the magnitude of the changes that are likely to befall livestock systems, the intersection of climate change and livestock is a relatively neglected research area. Little is known about the interactions of climate and increasing climate variability with other drivers of change in livestock systems and in broader development trends. Evidence is being assembled that the temporal and spatial heterogeneity of household responses may be very large. While opportunities may exist for some households to take advantage of more conducive rangeland and cropping conditions, for example, the changes projected will pose very serious problems for many other households. Furthermore, ruminant livestock themselves have important impacts on climate, through the emission of methane and through the land-use change that may be brought about by livestock keepers. Given that climate change is now being seen as a key development challenge, and that a very large global community is already working on climate-change-related issues, the CGIAR in general, and ILRI in particular, need to consider carefully how the research agenda might be adjusted to respond. While the global environmental change community is very large, ILRI as a small institute can still contribute effectively to the climate change / development debate by focusing on a few key niches, through alliances with carefully chosen collaborators. This discussion paper is an attempt to assemble and summarise relevant information concerning climate change, livestock and development, and to identify what these key niches might be. The report briefly summarises what is known about climate change and its effects on agroecosystems, and summarises the current limits to prediction. It reviews the literature on climate change impacts on livestock and livestock impacts on climate, and thus sets out to answer the question, what do we know? Knowledge and data gaps are then identified, and a synthesis presented in relation to our clients and stakeholders and to alternative providers of knowledge and information. The paper ends by looking at the questions, what do we not know, and what should we do about it, with a discussion of recommendations for ILRI activities in the area, and the strategic alliances needed, some of which already exist.

This paper is based on data collected under the Livelihood Options Project, a three year DFID funded policy study located in the Indian States of Andhra Pradesh (AP) and Madhya Pradesh (MP). The purpose of this project is to identify factors promoting or impeding diversification out of low productivity livelihoods, and identify the policy changes necessary to support upward trajectories and prevent downward ones. It explores the role of livestock in rural livelihoods and its potential to assist people in escaping poverty using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. Main topics of discussion include economic importance of livestock; macro level trends in AP and MP; and variations in income and livestock keeping. Three study findings are presented. These are Broad patters-lists livestock and farmer category, and livestock types by caste categories; Who keeps what and why? This finding discusses overviews of Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh and discusses goats as an increasingly popular accumulative option. The last Study finding - Does livestock provide a useful coping mechanism to vulnerable households and individuals - outlines migration and livestock case studies, and village accounts of livestock keeping patterns. The paper ends with conclusion and policy implications.

The ILRI financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2007 starts with statement of purpose, statement by the chairman of board of trustees, board statement on risk management and statement of management's responsibilities. It then presents consolidated and institute statements and four exhibits. The first one, statement of activities outlines revenue and gains, expenses and losses, and expenses by natural classification. The second statement, financial position, presents assets, liabilities and net assets. The third and the fourth statements are statements of changes in net assets and statement of cash flows respectively. The document continues with notes to the consolidated financial statements and ends with ends with exhibits on schedule of unrestricted grant revenue, schedule of program restricted grant revenue, schedule of furnishings and equipment, and schedule of direct and indirect cost rates.

This study examines the dynamics of livestock keeping in recent years when occurrence of droughts was severe; the function of livestock in reducing the vulnerability to shocks and stresses to which the poor are exposed; and the relationship between migration and aspects of livestock keeping in the context of drought and vulnerability. The discussion paper is organized as follows: Following the executive summary, Section 2 introduces the paper giving its background. Section 3 describes the methodology. Section 4 presents an overview of livestock keeping and poverty. Section 5 describes the dynamics of livestock keeping in two subsections. Section 6 analyzes livestock sales due to major expenses in three years. The relationship between migration income and livestock keeping is examined in Section 7. The paper concludes with Section 8, where implications are discussed. Questionnaire for 2005 panel re-survey and qualitative assessment of the impact of commercial poultry farms on backyard poultry production and additional tabulation are included in the appendices. The report is primarily based on the 2005 re-survey data supplemented by data collected from 2001-02 survey as well as qualitative method.

This study is conducted to assess the commercial off-take rates for cattle and shoats in the highland and pastoral areas of Ethiopia in order to complement the limited empirical information related to the off-take rates. The specific objectives are: (a) estimate off-take rates for cattle and shoats in mixed crop-livestock systems in the predominantly highland regions and in the pastoral systems in the lowlands, (b) estimate extent and nature of market participation by households and identify factors affecting the nature and extent of market participation for live animals in mixed crop-livestock systems, and (c) quantify the extent of demand for cattle and shoats for domestic consumption to assess how much of the aggregate commercial off-take is absorbed by domestic consumption and the balance left for live animal and meat export. The remaining sections of this paper are organized as follows. Section Two discusses the conceptual framework and empirical model for this study. The data sources and descriptions are given in Section Three. In Section Four the results and discussions of the descriptive and econometric analyses are presented. Finally, conclusions and recommendations are made in Section Five.

This document is intended for educational use and is a handbook to be used by researchers, engineers, and technicians of national services, development professionals or students who are dealing with demographic parameters (reproduction, mortality, etc.) of tropical livestock ruminant (cattle, small ruminants and camels). This handbook concerns the retrospective approach and is based on farmers' interviews and their medium- or long-term recall of the herd's demography. 12 mo focuses on livestock populations in traditional tropical farming systems that are non-intensive and where animal production is subject to little or no control. The handbook comprises six chapters. Chapter 1 describes the general protocol for a 12 mo survey; chapter 2 and 3 describes the survey questionnaires and a database interface for entering data collected, in the field. Chapters 4, 5 and 6 go in to the detail of calculating the demographic parameters and provide a numerical example.

Two hundred forty dairy producers, both rural and urban producers in the four major towns representing the Shashemene-Dilla area in southern Ethiopia, were selected using a multi-stage sampling techniques, with the objective of characterizing dairy production, processing/handling, marketing systems as well as to prioritize constraints and opportunities for dairy development in the area. To characterize dairy marketing systems in the study area, a Rapid Market Appraisal (RMA) technique was employed. Dairy marketing systems were studied with the help of topical guidelines. Dairy producers were interviewed using a pre-tested and structured formal questionnaire. Two major dairy production systems, namely the urban and mixed crop-livestock systems were identified, and again classified into two categories based on the major crops grown as a cereal crop producing and enset-coffee producing areas. The average family size of urban and rural dairy producers was 7.19 ± 0.26 and 7.58 ± 0.23 persons, respectively. Dairy contributed about half of the income of urban producers but it made up only 1.6% of the total income of families in the mixed crop-livestock production system. Average farm size of households in the mixed system was 1.14 ± 0.99 ha, while more than 97% of the urban producers use their own residence compound for dairying, which is only 200-400 square meters. Average herd size per household in the cereal based mixed system (3.8 ± 0.42) was higher than in the enset-coffee based systems (2.3 ± 0.36). Out of the total herds of urban producers, 32% of cattle were local cows while 19% were crossbred. Husbandry practices like feeding, watering, housing, breeding, milking, calf rearing, waste management, and record keeping were also different between the two productions systems. An estimated total of 9,645,020 litres of milk was produced annually from 4463 small and medium farms in the four towns. The majority of producers (61.7%) in the mixed crop-livestock system process milk at home, while the majority of urban producers (79.2%) produced milk for sale. An informal dairy marketing system was the only marketing system in the area. Different market channels and market outlets were identified for different dairy commodities, butter being the one having the longest channel. Prices of dairy commodities were influenced by different factors like season, access to market/distance from towns, fasting and non-fasting days, festivals and holidays, level of supply vs. purchasing ability of the urban dwellers, and quality of dairy products. Constraints for dairy development in the area included: availability and costs of feeds, shortage of farm land, discouraging marketing system, waste disposal problems, genotype improvement problem, poor extension and animal health services, and knowledge gap regarding improved dairy production systems. The rapid urbanization, subsequent increase in human population and standard of living of the urban dwellers especially the regional town Awassa as well as the rest three zonal towns can be considered as a good prospect for the development of dairy in the area. Dairying in the studied areas can be improved by solving major problems of smallholder dairy producers through services related to feed supply, access to land, good marketing systems, allocating place for waste handling and management and through provisions of veterinary, artificial insemination (AI), credit, extension, and training services at reasonable time and cost. Moreover, as market is the deriving force to the production and productivity of dairying, encouraging private investors to establish dairy processing plants in the area may be an option as a permanent market outlet for both rural and urban dairy producers through an organized milk collection schemes.

Animal production in South Asia is predominantly part of mixed crop-livestock farming systems vital for the security and survival of large numbers of poor people. In such systems, livestock generate cash income, provide draught power and manure, utilize crop residues and by-products making them partially, closed systems, and thus the most benign from the environmental perspective. Mixed farming systems however, are extremely complex and heterogeneous in terms of crops grown, livestock species raised and in their responses to development initiatives. Further, recent decades have seen significant changes in mixed systems in terms of livestock demography, increased commercialization (degree of integration with markets), etc. Factors contributing to this change include growing human population, mechanization of cultivation and rural transportation, use of inorganic fertilizers and government programs to promote animal production. On the demand side, an important factor contributing to the change has been the growing demand for livestock products (milk and meat) driven by income growth, urbanization and changes in tastes and references in the region. Meeting this growing demand is both an opportunity and a challenge for small-scale mixed crop-livestock farmers. Unlike in the past, productivity increases should contribute a larger share to output growth owing to increasing pressure on land and competing resources. Low productivity of livestock in mixed crop-livestock systems in South Asia is due to non-adoption of available technologies or their uptake has not been sustainable, because they were improperly targeted into the farming systems (for example, introducing cross-breeding technology in areas with poor feed resources, improved forage crops in low rainfall areas etc). To better understand the nature of small scale mixed farming systems in South Asia, the recognition of the strong nexus between crop and animal production, the striking variation in systems and the need for differential intervention, a Crop-;Livestock Systems typology has been constructed that delineates the regions of each country into homogenous croplivestock zones /systems with similar response to technology uptake and development initiatives. Thus, the typology would enable better targeting of technical and socioeconomic interventions aimed at improving animal productivity and protecting the natural resource base on the farms in South Asia.

This market report was undertaken to evaluate the marketing opportunities and constraints for beans in Ethiopia, to gain insight into the demand and supply of this crop and the medium and long-term market outlook across the subsector for national, regional and international trade. Major fi ndings are summarized with recommendations made in the form of suggested ways forward. The paper is organized as follows. Section 2 presents the research methodology, section 3 describes bean types, section 4 provides an overview of the production systems, section 5 deals with marketing issues, section 6 focuses on the demand for beans in Ethiopia, section 7 deals with the major supply channels, section 8 provides major fi ndings, and section 9 provides recommendations for interventions.

The first chapter outlines the emerging challenges faced by agricultural R&D sectors and how paradigms are evolving in response to these changes and challenges. The second chapter traces the evolution of agricultural extension thinking and practice. It highlights some generic problems faced at various stages of evolution and approaches to address them. It highlights the factors identified in literature as contributing to successful knowledge dissemination processes and creating higher access to clients to the services. While reflecting on the challenges and opportunities, the chapter also explores the possible future of extension services in developing countries. The third chapter gives an account of the various extension models, approaches and methods that have been tried out in developing countries and the experiences. The chapter concludes with the transition being made to agricultural innovation systems from Research & Extension systems and highlights the role of extension services in this context. Chapter four highlights the importance of farmer groups in providing effective extension services and promoting innovation. It explains in detail the processes, approaches and methods involved in group formation and development, management, performance assessment and, monitoring and evaluation. Chapter five lists and describes in detail the various tools and methods used in participatory research and development processes. Chapter six focuses on the very important issues of Monitoring and Evaluation as systems for learning and for facilitating reflective action cycles. The importance of participatory approaches in M&E, process monitoring and outcome mapping are highlighted. This book can be used by students and practitioners of extension, researchers and decision-makers. This is a collation of knowledge regarding the practice of extension and is not intended to be used as a recipe or blue print. Based on the context and the requirement, the approaches and tools should be selected, adapted and used. There is a built-in flexibility that would allow the user to employ his/her experience, creativity and imagination in adapting and using the approaches and tools described in this source book.

In 2003, ILRI published the new centre strategy for its research and development activities. This strategy moved away from the conventional view of research, as a rather linear and often solated process, to the pursuit of impact as a driving force for research with the perspective of innovation systems as a framework. The strategy recognizes the complexity of innovation as a socio-technical process where both knowledge networks and networks of infl uence are central to success in a continuous transformation process. A new way of doing science is the consequence of this commitment to impact-driven engagement in research for development. Partnerships among multiple actors are at the centre of such an approach to science and ILRI';s strategy highlights working through partnerships. The goal of ILRI';s strategy emphasizes the integration of science, capacity building and partnerships as a vehicle for impact. After three years of implementation of the new strategy, ILRI Management recognized the need for an in-depth analysis of the state of its partnerships and initiated a Centre Commissioned External Review. An initial short study revealed that, whilst considerable progress had been made, the management of partnerships needed to move from a rather ad hoc approach to one that was more proactive and systematic. The Management decided to pursue the development of a more coherent partnership strategy and management system which aims at institutionalization and operationalization of effective partnership management in the organizational structures, systems and processes. ILRI anticipated that by the end of this development and institutionalization process, ILRI would have a much clearer understanding of its partnerships and would be in a position to improve their quality in partnership management at all levels, thereby increasing its effi ciency and effectiveness. The approach chosen to develop the partnership strategy focused on the commitment and ownership of ILRI staff. An internal task force was formed, guided by an external process consultant. The process included the analysis and conceptualization of experiences and perspectives of stakeholders (a survey was carried out), lesson learning from successful and failed examples and exploring approaches practised elsewhere. Institutionally, the administrative systems were analysed in regard to their role in supporting partnership management and where necessary the systems were adapted. The product coming out of this analytical process by the task force is this guide to ILRI';s partnerships: a dynamic working document which will be regularly revisited and complemented as ILRI further professionalizes its partnership management with new instruments and mechanisms in a learning mode.

The Improving Productivity and Marketing Success (IPMS) for Ethiopian Farmers'; Project being implemented by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) commissioned Sap-Tec PLC to study the existing potential and execute apiculture development in Ada';a-Liben woreda, one of the IPMS'; ten Pilot Learning Woredas (PLWs). The main objective of this apiculture intervention was to identify the current beekeeping practices, assess potentials and problems, and provide solutions through the introduction of a participatory market-oriented modern beekeeping practice as an income-generating activity to farmers and others who are interested to complement their income. The activities reported in this paper are based on studies and interventions undertaken to enhance market-oriented apiculture development in Ada';a-Liben woreda between 2005 and 2007. This working paper is divided into a number of sections. The first two sections describe the major strengths and constraints of the bee industry in Ethiopia. Section 3 describes the beekeeping institutes and associations. Sections 4 and 5 analyse the most important opportunities and threats for apiculture development and marketing intervention in Ada';a-Liben woreda. Section 6 presents IPMS intervention strategies and lessons learned in knowledge sharing, capacity building, and commodity development including technology transfer, platforms, input supply, credit facilitation and market linkage. This section also discusses the methods used and the achievements obtained so far. Finally, Section 7 discusses both general and industry specific recommendations, which form the basis for further development of the industry. This working paper is intended to provide preliminary information on lessons drawn in beekeeping interventions in Ada';a-Liben woreda and to share the experiences to those who have already launched or are planning to launch apiary development program as an alternative income generating activity. It also highlights the methodologies applied and the lessons learned from the apiculture interventions of the IPMS project for scaling up to other woredas. The main objective of this apiculture intervention was to identify the current beekeeping practices, assess potentials and problems, and provide solutions through the introduction of a participatory market-oriented modern beekeeping practice as an income-generating activity to farmers and others who are interested to complement their income.