Improved food and nutritional security from better utilisation of dairy cattle breed / cross-breed types in Senegal

FoodAfrica Program Launch, January 2012 Karen Marshall : [email protected]

Improved Food and Nutritional Security from Better Utilisation of Dairy Cattle Breed / Cross-breed Types in Senegal

The importance of milk

Milk = high-quality food which supplies protein, energy & essential micronutrients (which are scarce or absent in plant-based diets).

Consumption of even small amounts of milk can significantly increase nutritional security & prevent malnutrition.

Dairy sector of West Africa

Demand for milk and other dairy products is increasing: population growth, urbanisation, rising incomes

The region (including Senegal) is already a net importer of milk and other dairy products

FAO-STAT: Senegal

Initiatives enabling sustainable increases in dairy productivity can lead to:

Improved livelihoods, including that of small to medium scale producers (regular cash income)

More jobs: input-service providers, producers, transporters, processors etc.

Enhanced household and regional food and nutritional security

In Senegal, the peri-urban dairy-cattle sector is rapidly expanding, though limited quantitative information on rate of expansion

Peri-urban dairy in Senegal: Breeds

Traditional breeds– Low output but low input– Well adapted to local environmental conditions

Recently introduced European breeds– High output but high input– Require increased health-care, fodder, water, better management etc.

Admixing (unstructured crossing) between the different breeds is occurring

Peri-urban dairy in Senegal: Pure-breeds contributing to the cross-breed types

Holstein-Freisian Montbeliard

MaureAzaouak Zebu Peul (Gobra)

West African Zebu

European dairy breeds

There is little information on the performance of the different breed and cross-breed types in ‘in-situ’ settings

The most appropriate breed combination for small to medium-scale diary farmers to keep is not known

Dairy farmers may not be able to access their breed of choice, due to lack of production and delivery systems

This project will address these issues

Peri-urban dairy in Senegal: Breeds

Work-package overview

Research

• Generate information on dairy genetics + dissemination to various stakeholders

Capacity

Building

• Capacity building activities targeted at specific stake-holders

Performance of the different breeds /cross-breeds Analysis of the dairy germplasm production & delivery systems Analysis of policies pertaining to animal genetic resources

Work-package overview

Outcomes

• Increased use of the most appropriate dairy breed / cross-breed types

• Improved dairy germplasm production and delivery systems

Impact

• Strengthened dairy value chain enhanced household and regional food and nutritional security, improved livelihoods, business and employment opportunities

Objective 1. Farmers and other stakeholders aware of the most appropriate dairy breed / crossbreed types for peri-urban dairy production systems in Senegal

a) Identification of the most appropriate dairy breed / cross-breed types for selected dairy production systems in Senegal

b) Dissemination of the above information to a variety of stake-holders: workshops, reports / publications, policy briefs & dialogues

Years 1 to 3

Identification of the most-appropriate dairy cross-breed types

Comparative analysis

Breed composition of each test animal

Pedigree not required

Genotyping of monitered and

reference animals (SNP chip)

Performance + economic data at households &

animal level

In-situ assessment

(Socio-) economic index = [outputs] – [inputs]

2 sites, each with 150 -200 households / 750 animals: 18 months monitoring

Genomic approaches to determine breed composition from DNA data

New technology– Feasability of approach demonstrated in cattle (Kuehn et al., 2011)– Latest Bovine SNP chip has 700k markers

Objective 2. The dairy germplasm value chain of peri-urban Senegal, and related policies, characterized and used to inform the development of a strategy for strengthened dairy germplasm production and delivery systems

a) Current policies and institutional arrangements in relation to dairy germplasm production and delivery in the project sites documented – Assessment of previous and current policies– Value chain analysis

b) Recommendations on the way forward to achieving a strengthened dairy germplasm production and delivery system– Developed in conjunction with stakeholders– May include business model development

Years 2 to 3.5

Who Area Local University and project PhD student

Animal genetics and breeding / livestock production

Policy makers at different levels (provincial, national)

Appropriateness of the different dairy cross-breed types; need for research to evaluate the performance of different breeds / cross-breed of livestock.

Local project partner Various research methodologies, including field survey design, implementation and analysis; mechanisms for result dissemination

Local-level stakeholders in dairy: farmers, agricultural extension officers, veterinarians, NGOs)

Appropriateness of the different dairy breed /cross-breed types for specific production systems

Objective 3. Local human, institutional and organizational capacity to access and promote different breeds / cross-breeds of livestock for small to medium input production systems in developing countries enhanced.

Who Area Stakeholders in dairy germplasm production and delivery

Impact of policy on dairy germplasm production and delivery; the dairy germplasm production and delivery value-chain and mechanisms to strengthen it

Locally recruited site co-ordinators, site staff and enumerators

Survey design and implementation; databases and data management; facilitation of focus group discussions & farmer cross-learning activities

Project women and men dairy farmers

Management of dairy cattle

Performance of their own animals

Appropriateness of the different dairy breed / cross-breed types for their specific situation

Objective 3. Local human, institutional and organizational capacity to access and promote different breeds / cross-breeds of livestock for small to medium input production systems in developing countries enhanced.

Year 1 activities• Final selection of project sites: targeting 2 sites

• Recruit key project personnel within Senegal– Project scientist – Project PhD Student– Project data-base manager– Field staff: 3 per site x 2 sites

• Project launch at national and site levels (all stake-holders)

• Field survey to collect data for the purpose of identifying households and animals to recruit into the project + project sensitisation– 300+ households per site

• Identifying households / animals of interest and recruit into project– 150 households / 750 animals per site

• Baseline survey initiated – to collect data on socio-economics of dairy production at a household level – all households recruited into project

Project partners

Agrifood Research Finland

Interstate School of Veterinary Science and Medicine of Dakar

Peri-urban dairy farming in Senegal