Presented by Okeyo, A. Mwai at the African Livestock Conference and Exhibition (ALiCE), Nairobi, 26−28 June 2013

1. Unlocking the potential of admix
local dairy cattle populations: The
opportunities and frameworks for
increased milk production in low
input production systems
Okeyo, A.Mwai
28th June, 2013, Nairobi, Kenya
Africa Livestock International Conference and Exhibition (ALiCE 2013)

2. Outline
• Introduction-the broader contexts
• Challenges
• Opportunities
• Need for smarter strategies
• Some way forward
• Some conclusions

3. Mixed intensive systems in the developing
World are key but under significant pressure
• More people for feed by 2030
• Smallholders manage approx. 500 million farms and provide 80% of
food consumed in large parts of developing countries
• 150 million cattle increasing to almost 200 million by 2030
• 110% predicted demand increase for dairy products by 2030
• Climate change: Severe water constraints already in some places &
predicted in many regions (limited forage production & breed/species
choices) -- need for resilient & productive breed types
• In E. Africa 70 % of milk is produced by smallholders, but productivity
remains low (Need for increased efficiency)

4. Globally, most people are (and will be) in
mixed crop – livestock systems
area ( million km2)
35.2
14
16.9
9.8
agro-pastoral
mixed extensive
mixed intensive
other
population (millions)
295.1
1099.2
2674
480.3

5. Figure 1b: Milk production trends - developing country regions
Source: FAOSTAT
0
50
100150
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
East and Southeast Asia Latin America and Caribbean
Near East and North Africa South Asia
Sub-Saharan Africa
In SSA- production is low &
not increasing as much!

6. The challenges and opportunities

7. Some challenges
• Low production and productivity
• Diseases (ECF & trypanosomosis) highly limit expansion
• Smallholder are too fragmented (input and market service delivery
costly)
• Poor quality input/support services
• Less attractive to the youth (low tech!)
• Poor supportive rural, financial and technical infrastructure
• Still and increasing competition from alternative enterprises (horticulture
and real estate)
• Not “cheap” for 1st entrants (an in-calf heifer costs US$ 60-1800)
• Generally no long term breeding programs in place (camels, cattle)

8. Maximum (dark coloured) and minimum (light coloured) levels of milk
production for different genotypes of cattle in Sub-Saharan Africa
A. Exotic Cattle
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
MilkYieldperLactation(Kg)
Southern Africa West and Central
Africa
East Africa
208.5% 90.2% 157.0%
B. Crossbred Cattle
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
MilkYieldperLactation(Kg)
Southern Africa West and Central
Africa
East Africa
132.0% 65.1%
312.6%
C. Indigenous Cattle
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
MilkYieldperLactation(Kg)(Kg)
Southern Africa West and Central
Africa
East Africa
170.1% 236.8% 199.1%
Better strategies
is needed!
Mwacharo et al., 2009
Huge opportunities to
increased wealth creation
& food security

9. some not
good enough
• high calf mortality rates
• long calving intervals (>>15 months)
• low milk production
• mainly forage based diets & inadequate

10. Breed can be separated: PC1 vs PC2 Indigenous
and hapmap; 566k snp
Ankole
Nganda
SEAZ
N’dama
Nelore
Hol
Jer
Guern
Pure
indigenous
Xbred classified as
indigenous

11. Breed separation now possible: PC1 Vs PC2 DGEA all
data + Hapmap; 566k snp
Crossbred cows

12. 0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
[0-50]
[51-100]
[101-150]
[151-200]
[301-350]
[401-450]
[451-500]
[501-550]
[51-100]
[251-300]
[351-400]
[401-450]
[451-500]
[501-550]
[0-50]
[101-150]
[151-200]
[201-250]
[251-300]
[401-450]
[501-550]
[>550]
[0-50]
[51-100]
[151-200]
[351-400]
[451-500]
[0-50]
[101-150]
[151-200]
[201-250]
[301-350]
[351-400]
[101-150]
[151-200]
[401-450]
[501-550]
[>550]
[0-50]
[301-350]
[401-450]
[451-500]
[51-100]
AAAAAAAFAAZZFFFFFFFZFFZZJGEEJGZZXXXXAAAAAAAFAAAZAAZZEZZZFFFFFFFZFFZZJGEEJGZZXXXXAAAAAAAZAAZZEZZZFFFFFFFZFFZZJGEEJGZZXXXXAAAAAAAZAAZZEZZZFFFFFFFZFFZZJGEEJGZZXXXXAAAAAAAFAAAZAAZZEZZZFFFFFFFZFFZZJGZZXXXX
BUTERE KABRAS KAPTUMO METEITEI SIONGIROI
MeanMilkyield
LacStage(50) per breed per site
Mean milk yield per cow by Site & Breed
Yield
Most calves are starving, thus permanently limiting
their dairy potential
Dairy Genetics East Africa Project 2013

13. Opportunities
• Huge and increasing demand (SSA is mostly a deficit region and
110% by 2030) is predicted hence offering market opportunities
• Large & diverse admix population of cattle exist
• New technologies (reproductive, genomic and IT) are available now
– New generation of vaccines and enabling policies for their use,
– Cell-phone and faster computer technologies allows for new recording &
feedback systems
– Faster breed improvement and new genetics possible
– delivery of new breed can ways of recording and information exchange
from which improvement can be made
• Increased investment interest and willingness by the public, private
sector and NGOs

14. Dairying still compelling as means to
better livelihoods for poor smallholders…
Mr and Mrs Daniel Munyasia
(Kwhisero): 2 dairy cows, 3
calves in 3 years; peak at 18
litres per day. Bought a new
farm, healthier children. Now
multi-enterprise – bananas,
vegetables…
Mary Adhiambo Were
(Bumala): Initially a desperate
widow, with no house: now
banks about 10k per week, has
built a new house, started
poultry unit.
30% of shs will transform

15. Diverse
Genetics & systems

16. Large populations of admix & crossbreds
of variable genetic merits already exist
In Eastern Africa alone there are>26 million milking cows, 55% of which
are crosses; Assuming 70% are females, 60% of which are
reproductively active, with only 50% AI usage and each cow needing
1.3 inseminations per conception (4 million doses), each charged at rate
of US$15 each, then we have an industry worth US$59million
annually.
Individual animal
snp maps from
structure
analysis

17. Smarter strategies needed

18. Different
Environments require
different genetics!

19. 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
Harsh Poor Good
Production environment
Yield(l)
Indigenous
X-bred
Exotic
Better match needed: optimum genotype depends on
environment

20. Milk yes, but!
Money is not only made from milk sales:
– Reduced input costs are important:
- forced culling
- poor reproduction
- purchase of extra replacements
- avoid extra vet expenses.
0.65
0.7
0.75
0.8
0.85
0.9
0.95
1S(t)
Time= days after birth
Europe
Kenya
South Africa &
Israel
Survival to Age at 1st calving of Holstein Friesians in a Kenyan Commercial farm
25% and 34% of
heifers culled prior to
AFC & 4 yrs of age

21. -8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Estimatedbreedingvalue(EBV)
Years
Genetic trend
800
850
900
950
1000
1050
1100
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
AFC(days)
Years
Phenotypic Trend
Performance evaluation is necessary
raw records can
be deceptive

22. New opportunities throuh In-Vitro Fertilization &
Embryo Transfer
Abattoir
Lab
Contracted
Farm(s)
Using ovaries from dead
cows, female embryo’s
can be developed in the lab
Embryos then transferred to
grow within recipient cows
At < 4 yrs of age cow is able to have
>800 daughters through OPU & IVEP!
OPU
IVF & IVM
Indigenous
donor cows

23. Why focus on admix & crossbreds?
• Don’t performance record, hence prone to breeding
mistakes made elsewhere (e.g. inbreeding)!
• Selected local breeds and crossbreds fit existing systems
• Would improve productivity and broaden income base:
• Increase calf and cow survival rates
• Increase conception rates and shorten CI
• Increase cow longevity (reduce replacement costs)
• Lower somatic cell counts (lower vet cost)
• Better feed utilization
• Heavier cull cows and faster growing bull calves
Most smallholders are not breeders, but are milk producers so
they should use genetics that give them higher profits?

24. Possible way forward

25. Who has the best cow?
Use cell phone tech to
verify this or near real
time basis
What is the genetic
compositions
use genomic
technology to
determine this
Use reproductive
tech. (IVEP) to
harvest & multiply
and ET to deliver
Smart use of emerging technologies
But good infrastructure
and enabling policies
are needed

26. Rwanda
cow
databas
e
Rwanda
cow
databas
e
Cattle
Goats
Sheep Rwanda
cow
databas
e
Internet/Cloud
Cattle
Goats
Sheep
Rwanda
cow
databas
e
Cattle
Goats
Sheep
Connectivity to
multiple country and
species databases via
MySQL/ODKs
Multiple colours
represent
databases for
various
participating
countries
Connectivity
via text
message
and web
The National
Databases/Gene
banks Controller
audits and
manages
inputted from
farmers—eg
Connectivity to Central
Database via web and
application platforms
Individual
farmers in
participating
countries
Governments, NGOs
and other interest
groups
Data
server
National Databases Controller
Directdataentrythroughcollaborativeprojects
Regional
Genetics and
Breeding
Platform (PPP)

27. AI-Services Records Health reports Conformation
-Milk Adaptability
-Body Weights
-Fertility
Information From Countries
Pedigree information Genetic evaluation information
Breeding plans
Basis for management decisions: Dairy, Sales, Feeds,
Health, etc.
Feedback to Farmers
Centralized
Recording
Breeding
Services
Extension
Genetic
Evaluation
Research

28. Livestock breeding platforms and why?
• Large pool of admix already exist from which selective
breeding would be feasible
• Small herds, hence pooling is the logical option
• National programs currently too small with inadequate
infrastructure & capacity
• Allow effective population of purebreds with local and
international genetic links to enable genetic evaluation
• Technologies (IT & genomic) exist to enable data
collection, timely synthesis and feedback across borders
• Create incentives for investments in local dairy genetics
business
• More prudent use of existing international and regional
resources and institutional frameworks

29. 0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
8000
9000
10000
1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Year
Kg ECM
Swedish Red (SRB)
Swedish Holstein (SLB)
2% total increase per year
1-1.5% genetic change per year
Example: Annual milk yield for SRB & SLB cows 1955-2005
Source: Philipsson, 2010

30. Some conclusions
• Productivity of smallholder dairy herds currently too low, improvement
in input service, infrastructure, institutional & policy frameworks
needed to support sustainable improvements.
• Strategies and huge mind set changes needed (e.g. pooling of herds
etc.)
• Genetic diversity and population of admix & crossbred cattle are high,
enough to provide a basis for effective breed improvement , but
viable business models & financing systems needed
• Development of a locally adapted and productive dual purpose cattle
breed-type is technically feasible and economically viable –but
enabling institutional & policy frameworks required
• Regional genetic improvement platforms to sustainably support
implementation of livestock genetic improvement programs is
proposed
• Strengthening of the local capacity to sustainably manage and
deliver/share locally improved cattle genetics needed

31. Thank
you