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One brown, one black-and-white, one red. This one part Zebu, that one with a touch of Jersey, another a Holstein crossed with an indigenous breed. The diversity is beautiful\u2014but the milk production often isn\u2019t. There\u2019s huge variation between the different breeds, and the individual cows, in terms of their genetic potential to make milk.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022video-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Ciframe src=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/media\/oembed?url=https%3A\/\/youtu.be\/SFFdE0NsEe0%3Fsi%3DuTkscYDwSxgQC-65\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=cYXnID0eQzqlXDm46omVKIg727laRvG-QJt8t7uHtM8\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022Africa\u0027s unique genetic resources - cattle\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EILRI researchers uncovered a treasure trove of genetic traits from centuries of methodical breeding work by traditional pastoralist herders. Credit: ILRI\/Annabel Slater.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EDairy powerhouses in Europe, North America and Oceania invest millions of dollars in selecting and breeding the most productive and resilient bulls and cows. As a result, milk yields in many of these countries reliably reach 25 litres per cow per day.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn Africa, however, dairy cows frequently produce just three to five litres daily. Low milk yields have cascading and widespread effects : reduced profits, poverty, and child malnourishment across the continent. These yield levels are partly the result of feed supplies, management practices, and climate\u2014but poor genes play a significant part as well, says Ojango.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cYou\u2019ll never get as much milk as you would like unless you get the right genetics.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EHistorically, authorities and farmers have tried to improve African milk production by importing proven European, North American or Australian bulls and using them to artificially inseminate local cows\u2014the equivalent of bringing Ferraris to a region with dirt roads, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/34851\u0022\u003Ein one analogy\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014or a sports team trained at sea level having to play at altitude. In the tropics, most of the bulls\u2019 offspring failed to meet expectations.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EA few produced plenty of milk, but it was of low quality, and too often those animals were especially vulnerable to disease. \u201cThe sort of feed that they were being given, the sort of management system that is being provided\u2014it wasn\u0027t right for the genotypes,\u201d Ojango says.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESo a decade ago, geneticist and ILRI emeritus fellow \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/celebrating-okeyo-mwai\u0022\u003EOkeyo Mwai\u003C\/a\u003E had an idea: to leverage the simultaneous revolutions in genomics and information technology in order to find a few needles in a country-sized haystack: strong, resilient cows and bulls with the best chance of converting the least feed into the most milk in specific environmental contexts in East Africa.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                   \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--contacts paragraph--view-mode--default\u0022\u003E\n          \n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--contacts paragraph--view-mode--default\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Rapahel-Mrode.jpg.webp?itok=bq_aVz3B\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Raphael Mrode photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Raphael Mrode\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Principal Scientist, Livestock Genetics\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Julie%20Ojango.jpeg.webp?itok=pJTic4DK\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Julie Ojango photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Julie Ojango\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Senior Scientist, Animal Breeding Strategies\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n      \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Okeyo%20Mwai.jpg.webp?itok=IxtzBHY4\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Okeyo Mwai photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Okeyo Mwai\n\n      \u003Csmall\u003E  Livestock Geneticist and ILRI Emeritus Fellow\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Ch3\u003EGOOD, BETTER, BEST\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cIf you can\u2019t measure it, you can\u2019t improve it,\u201d Mwai says.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBeginning in 2011, ILRI\u2019s Dairy Genetics East Africa (DGEA) program aimed to identify the optimum cattle breed composition for smallholder farmers in different regional environments. Researchers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/livestock.cgiar.org\/news\/cutting-edge-genetic-analysis-and-sms-technology-dramatically-shifts-dairy-cattle-practices.html\u0022\u003Eshowed\u003C\/a\u003E that cows with more than 65% exotic genes were better suited to more resourced farmers, while the majority of smallholders were better off with cattle that were 35-50 percent indigenous.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIt quickly became clear that traditional dairy breeding programs also weren\u2019t fit for purpose. \u201cThe initial research showed glaringly that we cannot use any conventional program to try and make a difference in these countries,\u201d says Ojango. That\u2019s because of the hyper-diverse \u2018fruit salad\u2019 mix of mongrel genes common in smallholder herds, which are typically tiny\u2014often just one to three animals\u2014and scattered over a wide area.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EData-collecting methodologies designed for homogenous herds in large-scale, well-connected production systems just didn\u2019t make sense in many parts of Africa and other low-income regions, Ojango says. And most countries weren\u2019t collecting any pedigree or genetic data at all.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn 2016, a follow-up effort\u2014the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/134784\u0022\u003EAfrica Asia Dairy Genetic Gains\u003C\/a\u003E project, supported by the Gates Foundation\u2014was underway. ILRI researchers, working with local agricultural extension agents, began collecting milk production records and hair samples from hundreds of thousands of cattle across Ethiopia and Tanzania.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n  \n  \n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022video-wrapper\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Ciframe src=\u0022https:\/\/fifty.ilri.org\/media\/oembed?url=https%3A\/\/youtu.be\/YOg3O8FkSSY%3Fsi%3Dw7N2xlSCjnLwJUBx\u0026amp;max_width=0\u0026amp;max_height=0\u0026amp;hash=XnCeYHSjqkLf2lF4lm6JLZ6_onFe4YKeF8QN6aJRPtM\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022113\u0022 class=\u0022media-oembed-content\u0022 loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 title=\u0022Better Cows, Better Grades | Partners of Human Potential\u0022\u003E\u003C\/iframe\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EMeet the farmers and scientists helping communities thrive through access to better cow breeds. Credit: Gates Foundation.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUsing both genomic prediction algorithms and pedigree data, they identified cross-bred cows and bulls of exceptional genetic merit for either artificial insemination or natural breeding. (Bulls that can pass on high milk production to their female offspring were especially sought after, since a single bull can father thousands of daughters in a lifetime, whereas a cow might only have five or ten.)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBy 2018, the researchers had already singled out a handful of impressive animals, and presented them to farmers at \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/cutting-edge-genetic-analysis-and-sms-technology-dramatically-shifts-dairy-cattle-practices\u0022\u003Ean animal expo in Tanzania\u003C\/a\u003E\u2014parading cows that were producing 20 litres of milk, for instance, and a bull calf whose genes showed exceptional potential. That bull now resides at the artificial insemination station at the Tanzania Livestock Research Institute (TALIRI), says Ojango.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHe\u2019s one of the most highly demanded bulls by the farmers. They really love him\u2014they call him the AADGG Bull.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ESince then, collaborators have tagged and registered half a million dairy cattle owned by more than 200,000 farmers in Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Nepal, and collected over two million daily milk records. In Ethiopia, 70,000 doses of semen have so far been extracted from top bulls and sold at a subsidised price to farmers to inseminate their cows. \u201cWe don\u2019t want to give it out for free\u2014free things are not valued,\u201d says Mwai.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/inline\/public\/2025-03\/ADGG%20winning%20bull.jpg.webp?itok=Q55LU2qn\u0022 width=\u00221600\u0022 height=\u00221068\u0022 alt=\u0022ADGG winning bull\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-inline\u0022\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        The \u0027AADGG bull\u0027 as a calf at the 2019 Bull and Cow Show in Dodoma, Tanzania, where he was recognized for carrying exceptional genes for productivity and resilience.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   ILRI\/Mireille Ferrari\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EInitial results showed farmers have already seen improved milk yields of 60 percent. Much of those gains can be attributed to improved management practices, but the portion that\u2019s genetic is cumulative\u2014and permanent, says Mwai. \u201cWe estimate that we can have at least 2% improvement in milk yield per year. Cumulatively, that is huge. Farmers in developing countries or the tropics can identify and have access to genetics that are more productive and resilient\u2014and that is what they need if they are going to be profitable.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThis has never been done before, says ILRI principal scientist \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/people\/raphael-mrode\u0022\u003ERaphael Mrode\u003C\/a\u003E, who leads the AADGG program. \u201cNobody thought that genomic prediction was feasible in a smallholder system, and we have demonstrated it\u2014we have actually seen that it works.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--testimonial\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-left\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\n  \u003Cp\u003EIn animal breeding, there is a lot of variation. Some animals are good, some are bad, some are better. It is vital to identify which are the superior animals\u2014and you can only do that if you measure performance.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Ci class=\u0022fa-solid fa-quote-right\u0022\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph--type--author\u0022\u003E\n    \n  \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/picture\/public\/2025-05\/Okeyo%20Mwai.jpg.webp?itok=IxtzBHY4\u0022 width=\u0022200\u0022 height=\u0022200\u0022 alt=\u0022Okeyo Mwai photo\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-picture\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022wrapper\u0022\u003E\n      \u003Ch4\u003E\n  Okeyo Mwai\n\n        \u003Csmall\u003E  Livestock Geneticist and ILRI Emeritus Fellow\n\u003C\/small\u003E\n      \u003C\/h4\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Ch3\u003ETHE POWER OF TECH (and TEXTS)\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe lab work is part of the story, but key to the program\u2019s success has been its \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/livestock.cgiar.org\/news\/future-agricultural-extension-africa-digital.html\u0022\u003Eharnessing of data and communications technology\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore AADGG, farmers \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/107802\u0022\u003Ehad no reliable information\u003C\/a\u003E on which bulls were best to breed from. They didn\u2019t know how much milk they could expect from their cows, or how to increase those yields, says Mrode. But after eight years, the program has generated a huge dataset, allowing milk production records to be cross-referenced with not only genetics, but also climate and management information.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAs the data bank grows, so do the possibilities. Even as farmers select certain animals that do well in their specific environment, that environment is changing. By overlaying temperature and humidity data from global weather stations, ILRI scientists can investigate which animals are likely to produce more milk under changed climate conditions.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe variation is huge,\u201d says Mwai. \u201cFor every increase of temperature or humidity unit, we found cows reduce their milk yield between four and twelve percent. We need to factor this in so that we can advise farmers in areas where heat and humidity is projected to rise to use bull X rather than bull Y, since its daughters will be better able to cope.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EILRI wanted to make sure this kind of data and analysis also flowed back to the farmers, to allow them to make decisions based on evidence for their animals and their livelihoods.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAlmost every home in East Africa has access to a phone, even in remote areas, Mrode says, and people are accustomed to sending money via their mobiles. In 2016, ILRI partnered with the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=PfWGiu0jGv0\u0022\u003Eteam behind the innovative Kenyan app iCow\u003C\/a\u003E, which distributes dairy farming advice via text messages and a helpline, \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/hdl.handle.net\/10568\/107802\u0022\u003Eleading to a 22% increase in household income for some users\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ENow, all AADGG\u2019s data is being synthesised into a cutting edge \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/news\/africa-asia-dairy-genetic-gains-project-launches-mobile-app-track-dairy-animal-performance\u0022\u003Enew mobile phone app\u003C\/a\u003E, which will allow researchers to quickly inform farmers of their findings in real time and give breeding, feeding and other management advice. Farmers will also be able see how their cows\u2019 productivity measures up against the average in their community.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMwai hopes the two-way communication enabled by the app will also prompt a shift in scientists\u2019 mindsets. \u201cDon\u0027t wait until your scientific paper is out,\u201d he advises.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EData is not important until it is transformed into knowledge, and that knowledge shared to benefit the different actors in the value chain. What can you share now that can benefit the cooperative, the milk processor, the government, or the farmer today?\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n\u003Csection class=\u0022container single-column-sidebar paragraph\u0022\u003E\n  \u003Cdiv class=\u0022row\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cdiv class=\u0022col-md-7 offset-md-1 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n            \u003Cdiv class=\u0022text-container\u0022\u003E\n        \n  \u003Ch3\u003EA PIVOTAL MOMENT\u003C\/h3\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EBecause calves take several years to grow up and have babies of their own, the full genetic potential of the AADGG program to boost milk yields is only now beginning to be realised. The grandchildren of the first generation of AADGG cattle are being born this year. \u201cThey are the ones that will show the genetic progress,\u201d says Ojango. Continued funding is therefore essential, she says.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EI can\u0027t stop now\u2014it\u0027s a pivotal moment. Now I have hope that I can actually prove that genetics can make a difference.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAADGG\u2019s benefits spiral beyond just genetics and milk production. The genomics techniques could be used to identify cows that produce high quantities of milk\u2014\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.ilri.org\/research\/projects\/envirocow\u0022\u003Ebut low quantities of methane\u003C\/a\u003E, Mrode says. \u201cGenetic factors account for around 20 percent of methane output variance.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAdditionally, the cattle identification system adopted by Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Nepal to facilitate the program will also enable governments to track the spread of diseases, animal movement, and vaccination rates, he says.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThis is groundbreaking, because at no time before has ILRI been able to directly interact with farmers with this the level of intensity,\u201d adds Mwai.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u201cI see AADGG\u2019s principles, if applied and expanded on, as the surest route for ILRI to have real and massive impact. We\u2019ll become the go-to for low-income country information on livestock\u2014information that is relevant and speaks to the farmers\u2019 needs, the service providers\u2019 needs, the policy makers\u2019 needs.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cblockquote\u003E\u003Cp\u003EKnowledge is power.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E--\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EStory written by Kate Evans, science writer\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\n      \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003C\/div\u003E\n    \u003Caside class=\u0022col-md-3 col-sm-12\u0022\u003E\n                 \u003Cdiv class=\u0022paragraph paragraph--type--image\u0022\u003E\n    \u003Cfigure\u003E\n      \u003Cimg loading=\u0022lazy\u0022 src=\u0022\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/large\/public\/2025-05\/LMD%20in%20use.jpg.webp?itok=1hnBUyIr\u0022 width=\u00221200\u0022 height=\u0022675\u0022 alt=\u0022A laser methane detector captures methane emissions at the farm level\u0022 class=\u0022image-style-large\u0022 \/\u003E\n\n\n\n\n    \u003Cfigcaption\u003E\n        A laser methane detector captures methane emissions at the farm level.\n\n          \u003Cspan\u003ECredits:   Photo ILRI\n\u003C\/span\u003E\n      \u003C\/figcaption\u003E\n\u003C\/figure\u003E\n\n\n\u003C\/div\u003E\n\n          \u003C\/aside\u003E\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/section\u003E\n\n  \u003C\/div\u003E\n\u003C\/article\u003E\n","settings":null}]