Discusses issues in the development of dairying in Africa & Asia, outlining main approaches employed in the organization of production, and the need to take into consideration five interrelated factors in dairy development strategies, viz, the supply of dairy stock, animal health, fodder systems, marketing arrangements and training of farmers; also points out the need for research, and institutional support in the form of advisory & extension services as well as credit provision to assist in dairy development.

The Atankwidi Catchment, which lies in the White Volta Basin in West Africa, is intensively cultivated by locals for economic gains. During dry seasons, farmers irrigate their crops, chiefly tomatoes, using shallow groundwater harvested from shallow ponds they dig using simple tools like an axe, hoe, bucket and bowls. Recent expansion in cultivated areas has brought to the fore the need to estimate the volume of shallow groundwater stored in the catchment’s underlying aquifer and to what extent it can sustain the incremental growth in irrigated areas.

Background

Excessive rainwater during the rainy season and lack of water in the dry season have been challenging the agricultural productivity and food security for rural communities in southern Mali. Various soil and water conservation practices were implemented in the past to improve crop yields and income, and reverse the effect of land degradation. However, none of these efforts looked into the potential use of shallow wells at a spatial scale to improve the agricultural productivity and hence the food security in the region.

Results

Ethiopia is home for a large and diverse livestock resources and favourable production environments. The vast majority of the rural population’s livelihood is partly based on livestock production. However, livestock production and productivity and producers’ benefits from livestock production are far below expectations.

Research review on sheep and goat production in the humid zone of West Africa, w. respect to animal population, production parameters, reproduction, forage production, supplementary feeding based on agro - industrial byproducts, disease incidence, particularly peste petits ruminants & helminthiasis, housing, and economic aspects of small and large scale production, w. proposals for further research.