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M-BoSs project review and planning workshop on 29-30 June 2017. Photo: ILRI/Bethlehem Alemu

Community-based goat breeding program offers innovative approach for improving smallholders’ livelihoods in Ethiopia and Tanzania

by

  • Aynalem Haile
  • Beamlak Tesfaye

Countries

Blog post

The International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) and the Brazilian Corporation for Agricultural Research (EMBRAPA) in partnership with the Ethiopian and Tanzanian National Agricultural Research Institutes have secured a competitive grant to scale out community-based breeding programs (CBBPs) in Ethiopia and Tanzania.

On 29-30 June 2017, an inception workshop brought together stakeholders from Ethiopia and Tanzania in Addis Ababa. During the meeting, participants reviewed the and developed detailed work plan for the upcoming new project.

Mary Mashingo, the permanent secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the United Republic of Tanzania, recognized small ruminants’ significance in smallholder livelihood, and as a source of food for the increasing Tanzanian population.

The project has a total of 1,300 households as direct beneficiaries in Ethiopia and Tanzania, and 1,000 households benefiting indirectly from the use of second-tier improved bucks in Ethiopia. This three-year will:

  • establish CBBPs for two goat breeds in pilot communities in Ethiopia and Tanzania based on relevant baseline information;
  • test  and implement, at scale, efficient, low-cost synchronization and artificial insemination protocols for wider dissemination of improved genetics;
  • customize the data management and recording  system (DREMS) for wider application in goat breeding programs;
  • further, develop and customize mobile recording application to facilitate performance data recording;
  • identify, assess and develop the technical and institutional capacities and arrangements required to sustain goat breeding programs;
  • Develop marketing strategies for breeding bucks (possibly breeding females too) and live goats and their products.

The grant is secured from M-BoSs, which is a platform designed to strengthen and deepen the collaboration in Agricultural Research for Development among African and Brazilian partners. It is a joint effort of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the United Kingdom Department of International Development, the Forum for Agriculture Research in Africa (FARA), the Arthur Bernardes Foundation (Funarbe) and EMBRAPA.