This document summarizes a project by ILRI's Livestock Genetics Program in Senegal to identify the most appropriate dairy cattle breed. Over almost 2 years, the project partnered with 220 households keeping over 3000 cattle. Data showed that households with Bos Taurus or cross-bred cattle had higher milk yields and profits than those with indigenous Zebu cattle. Cross-bred cattle performed best in terms of productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability. The project found little difference in milk protein between breeds but fat content varied. It also assessed food safety and gender impacts.

1. ILRI’s Livestock Genetics Program - LiveGene
Visit to ILRI by Heifer International
30 January 2018
Karen Marshall, ILRI

2. LiveGene
Delivering improved genetics to the world’s
small-scale livestock keepers
Working with partners

3. LiveGene Objectives
 Determine the most appropriate genetic improvement
strategies for different livestock production systems.
 Design and support implementation of sound breeding
programs and delivery of the desired genetics
 Discover the genes responsible for better productivity and
resilience and use this information in breeding programs
 Support the development of policies and institutional
arrangements that would enable improved access to, and
sustainable use of, livestock genetic resources.

4. Project highlight – Senegal Dairy Genetics
Project aimed to identify and promote
utilization of the most appropriate
breed / cross-breed type
Various government initiatives to
increased dairy productivity through
improved genetics - but questions on
which breed to promote
Collaboration with Heifer International Senegal on domestic
biogas training (146 female and 366 male farmers)
Partnered with 220 dairy keeping
households, with 3000+ cattle, over an
almost 2 year period to obtain data

5. 0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
0
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
500,000
600,000
Indigenous
Zebu
Indigenous
Zebu
Indigenous
Zebu by
Guzerat
Indigenous
Zebu by
Guzerat
Indigenous
Zebu by Bos
Taurus
Indigenous
Zebu by Bos
Taurus
High Bos
Taurus
* ** * ** ** *** ****
Household profit (CFA per cow per annum) Milk yield (liters per annum)
Breed
Management
level
8.0 x household profit
7.5 x milk production
2.4 x household profit
3.2 x milk production
Project highlight – Senegal Dairy Genetics

6. Project highlight – Senegal Dairy Genetics
Breed
Management level (*)
Zebu
*
Zebu
**
Zebu x
Guzerat
*
Zebu x
Guzerat
**
Zebu x
Bos
Taurus
**
Zebu x
Bos
Taurus
***
High
Bos
Taurus
****
Breed preference –
male / female famers
+/+ +/+ +/+ +/+ +++/+++ +++/+++ ++/+
Productivity -
liters milk / annum
175 568 223 640 508 1,315 1,422
Profitability -
CFA / annum/cow
60,235 142,041 65,384 186,670 236,028 479,525 407,441
Environmental
sustainability -GHG EI, kg
CO2eq/kg protein
338 190 307 165 188 110 108
Food quality -
milk protein/fat
For milk protein – no difference between breed-types
For milk fat – variation between breed-types, but changing trend on parity
Food safety -
aflatoxin levels in feed
Low Medium Low Medium Medium High
Very
high
Equality -
gendered impacts
Women control income from milk sale in a
majority of households
Women control income from
milk sale in fewer households

7. This presentation is licensed for use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence.
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