Rangelands, Drylands & Pastoralism

This proceedings presents the results and conclusions of ILRI's role in livestock research and development in Asia. It provides a detailed testimony of the success of the consultation, and especially about ILRI's commitment to form integrated programmes for livestock and agricultural research with national partners and others.

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) began operations in 1995 with the consolidation of two Consultative Group on International Research (CGIAR) - sponsored livestock research centres: the International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases (ILRAD), in Kenya, and the International Livestock Centre for Africa (ILCA), in Ethiopia.

About 14 % of the world's cattle and 21 % of its sheep and goats are found in Africa on a land base that comprises 25 % of the world's total area of rangelands. Most of these rangelands are or have in the past been managed under traditional systems of communal tenure.

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works through partnerships which are critical for two reasons: for collaborative research on key components and constraints and for the development, testing and transfer of technologies, based on farmer's needs.

Poor nutrition because of poor quality feeds and fluctuating feed supply is a major constraint to tropical livestock productivity. The need to supply greater quantities of quality fodder requires development of both new forages and feeding strategies that will enhance the efficiency with which conventional on-farm feed resources are used.

This training manual emphasises an integrated approach to research on small ruminants. Eleven modules cover the topics in an integrated approach to improving small ruminant productivity in sub-Saharan Africa. It starts with describing small ruminants in various agro-ecological zones in sub-Saharan Africa with emphasis on the prevailing production systems.