Background

ICPALD in collaboration with IDDRSI team, financially supported by USAID, conducted a review and pre-Covid pandemic field studies to identify, validate and share innovative resilience-enhancing technologies and practices in: (i) livestock value chains and (ii) fodder and animal feed in cross-border areas of IGAD cluster 1 (Karamoja cluster). The assessment reports identified technologies and practices which have undergone proof-of-concept and are ready to be taken to scale through private sector engagement.

Dr. Stephen Chumba, opened the virtual meeting on behalf of the Director of Veterinary Services Kenya after welcome remarks by Dr. S. J. Muchina Munyua, ICPALD Director. They both encouraged participants to add value to the reports in terms of technologies and innovations that can be enhanced along the livestock value chain and fodder and fodder seed production. They noted that livestock is a key livelihood resource in Karamoja and other IGAD ASAL regions, deserving of support to adopt modern technologies at production, value addition, marketing, among others. To ensure proper validation the reports were circulated prior to the meeting and comments gathered. Additional comments and recommendations were received during the meeting, discussed and incorporated in the report. Fifty-five participants drawn from the public, private sectors of the Member States, UN agencies, NGOs, USAID and IGAD attended the virtual meeting held on 2-3 June 2020.

Recommendations:

Livestock Value Chain

1. Hides and Skins preservation, collection and processing (at cottage and community levels) needs to be developed to create jobs and wealth.
2. E-platform market information systems need to be developed for crossborder markets especially with constrained movement of livestock and traders during this Covid-19 pandemic and any other future shocks.
3. Develop appropriate infrastructure along the livestock movement/trade/migration routes to quicken movements or transactions.
4. Consider strengthening or establishing digital e-platforms for disease surveillance and animal health service delivery to mitigate potential shocks such as pandemics, drought, floods.
5. Facilitate capacity building of pastoral households to improve their livestock breeds (red maasai & dorper, boran & sahiwal cattle e.t.c) using genomics technology with a view of not losing original best traits of indigenous characteristics.

Fodder and Fodder Seed Production

1. Establish linkages between National and County/ District/ Woreda and Farmer Training Schools on fodder and fodder seed production and best practices using lead farmers’ approach.
2. Facilitate capacity building of communities on early detection, surveillance and reporting of locust invasion for effective control by spraying.
3. Build the capacity of agro-pastoralists to develop resilient livelihood systems (pasture and fodder development and feed conservation infrastructure) to withstand shocks such as drought, floods and pandemics like Covid-19.
4. Facilitate promotion of pasture establishment through rain-fed pasture development and irrigated pastures along strategic water body areas/rivers across the ASALs, rangeland improvement; feed conservation and feed storage at community levels.
5. Support fodder/pasture seed certification and establish strategic hay reserves in selected counties/ Woredas/districts and build capacity of groups and traders to commercialize hay and seeds.