ACGG / Animal Breeding / Chickens / East Africa / Ethiopia / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / Livestock / LIVESTOCK-FISH / Nigeria / Poultry / Research / Southern Africa / Tanzania / West Africa

ILRI-led African Chicken Genetic Gains project is improving indigenous birds for better smallholder livelihoods

The ACGG project is concerned with the development of indigenous chickens and this post explains the position of the project on this matter, following a conversation that started with a BBC article mentioning the Bill & Melinda Gates’ involvement in poultry production. Continue reading

ACGG / Animal Breeding / Chickens / East Africa / Ethiopia / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / LIVESTOCK-FISH / Poultry / Research / Staff

Voices on chicken genetics: Increasing benefits from chicken for Ethiopia’s farmers

Solomon Abegaz, co-principal investigator (PI) in the Ethiopia country team, working with the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR), introduces himself and his work with the program. It is one of a series of portraits of key people in Africa Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG). Continue reading

ACGG / Animal Breeding / Chickens / East Africa / Ethiopia / ILRI / LiveGene / Livestock / LIVESTOCK-FISH / Poultry / Research

Ethiopia training on chicken performance testing sets trainers up for success

An ‘on-farm monitoring’ training course was organized in Ethiopia on 23-25 March 2016, under the auspices of the Holetta Agricultural Research Centre of the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI). Continue reading

More productive chickens, a business opportunity
ACGG / Chickens / Countries / East Africa / Ethiopia / Genetics / Indigenous Breeds / Nigeria / Poultry / Regions / Tanzania / West Africa

More productive chickens, a business opportunity

The latest brief by the African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) program, More productive chickens—potentially a multi-million dollar business, outlines how the program is reaching out to the private sector and involving poor smallholder women farmers in Africa in the chicken value chain. Continue reading

ACGG / Capacity Strengthening / Chickens / Countries / Ethiopia

Increasing incomes and improving nutrition in ACGG program: Conversation with Simbarashe Sibanda

Simbarashe Sibanda, managing director of the Agriculture to Nutrition (ATONU) initiative and ATONU project leader for the African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) program, was one of the members of the ATONU team which visited poultry production sites in Axum and Debre Zeit, Ethiopia in December 2015. We spoke to Sibanda about ATONU’s contribution to ACGG going forward. Continue reading

ACGG / Chickens / Ethiopia / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LIVESTOCK-FISH / Poultry

How African Chicken Genetic Gains program aligns with Ethiopia’s livestock master plan

The Ethiopia Livestock Master Plan (LMP) was published in August 2015 with the objective of clearly outlining the path to development for the livestock sector in country. The main investment interventions outlined were better genetics, feed and health services, which, together will improve productivity and total production in the key livestock value chains including poultry. In this post we hope to give a brief outline of how the African Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG) is contributing to the LMP’s objectives. Continue reading

ACGG / Animal Breeding / Chickens / East Africa / Ethiopia / Genetics / ILRI / Indigenous Breeds / LiveGene / Livestock / LIVESTOCK-FISH / Poultry / Research / Staff

Voices on chicken genetics: Improving poultry performance for food security in Ethiopia

Getnet Assefa, principal investigator of ACGG in Ethiopia and national livestock research coordinator at the Ethiopian Institute for Agricultural Research (EIAR), introduces himself and his work with the program. It is one of a series of portraits of key people in Africa Chicken Genetic Gains (ACGG). Continue reading