Feed the Future Launches New African Goat Production Project

The African Goat Production Improvement workshop held last November in Nairobi, Kenya, launched a new Feed the Future project to enhance livestock breeding and productivity.

The workshop was hosted by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and gathered about 20 participants from regional and international organizations, including USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, Farm Africa, the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa, Virginia State University (United States), the University of Nottingham (United Kingdom),  Inner Mongolia Agricultural University (China), the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (Austria), Universidade Estadual Paulista Sao Paulo University (Brazil), and the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas.

This workshop was the first in a series of activities planned for the goat improvement project over the next five years. The new project will improve understanding of genetic diversity in African goat populations and develop new tools and methods to breed resilient parasite- and disease-resistant goats. Livestock is a critical resource for many families and communities in Feed the Future focus countries.

Read USDA’s blog on this Goat Production Project.