Africa: Agricultural Researchers Call for Scaling up of Extensive Livestock Production
By Shadrack Kavilu
Nairobi--In the light of increasing uncertainty in weather patterns that has caused erratic rainfall, intensified droughts and desertification induced by climate change, agricultural experts have expressed the need to scale up extensive livestock production in order to realize food security.
According to the researchers who recently met in Nairobi under the Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF), a regional umbrella body for farmers that represent about 20 million farmers in the Eastern Africa region they underscored the need for massive new investments into re-invigorating farm research and getting resilient crops and livestock breeds.
The agricultural experts drawn from 11 East and Central Africa region who met under the auspices of Platform for African European Partnership in Agricultural Research for Development (PAEPARD), a multi stakeholder partnership within different consortium partners in agriculture research for development called for improved extensive livestock production in the region in order to achieve some of the Millenium Development Goals for Africa.
The researchers warned that unless new approaches are made to align with the changing farmers and farming systems, the region wouldn’t achieve the much needed food security in the wake of climate change.
They noted that the region needs to improve and strengthen extensive livestock production value chains and advice farmers on climate-smart practices in order to adapt and mitigate climate change.
Speaking during the meeting, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation president, Philip Macharia Kiriro said that livestock research for development should be broad in approach to be able to address livestock, breeding, health, nutrition and markets.
The EAFF president said the launch of a new strategic plan for 8 years running from 2012- 2020 anchors upon 4 pillars that focuses on policy environment for agriculture, trade and agribusiness with a special focus on value chain development and economic services to EAFF members.
Kiriro said the plan is strategically orientated towards farmer empowerment on a regional scale through lobbing and advocacy for favourable pro- poor policies and strengthening farmers organizations to play their rightful role.
The strategy, Kiriro said promotes regional agriculture trade through market appropriation, improvement of value chain management, promotion of farming as a business and entrepreneurship.
He noted that the IGAD region that is within EAFF mandate area, livestock sector contributes nearly 60 percent of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of IGAD member state in a proportions ranging from 20 percent in Uganda to nearly 90 percent in Somalia.
He added that livestock farming supports live hoods of over 40 million people most of who are in the Arid and the Semi Arid IGAD Region.
Dr Angel Dakar, a leading agriculture expert with Alliance for Commodity Trade in Eastern and Southern Africa (ACTEASA- COMESA) observed that over the years research and development has generated a lot of output but getting it to farmers has remained the biggest hurdle.
He said that the region should instead focus on research for development that caters for the need of farmers.
Dr Dakar noted that ACTESA-COMESA’s 5 year strategic plan 2012-2016 would focus on policy research, outreach and advocacy; expanding market services and facilities and building capacity for commercialization.
According to a study on livestock strategy for Eastern Africa conducted by the Agency for Inter-regional Development (AFID) released during the meeting, livestock contributes 20 to 30 percent of gross domestic product and accounts for 70 percent of cash income generated from livestock production by farmers.
The study notes that though livestock production plays a crucial role in food security in Eastern and Central Africa, the growth in livestock production doesn’t meet the demand and that most countries rely on imports.
The report attributes this to the increasing human population which is likely to exacerbate the situation unless appropriate technologies to increase market oriented livestock production are put in place.
Dr Jean Ndikumana, an expert in livestock research and development in East and Central Africa said the region needs to strengthen the extensive livestock value chain which contributes greatly to poor livestock productivity.
“In order to realize increased livestock production we need to strengthen market value chains in all segments such as production, processing and marketing,” said Dr Ndikumana.