Research Areas
Livestock, Market AccessCountries
Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, TanzaniaTimeline
Start Date: 1 May 2009 | End Date: 31 December 2010Overview
The goal of this project is to identify out-of-the-box, innovative technology options that would add significant value for smallholder farmers by reducing primarily post-harvest inefficiencies in agricultural value chains in Africa.
The project is designed to bring insights and expertise from emerging fields of science, technology, and innovation to help improve efficiencies in agricultural value chains in Africa.
Meridian Institute, which leads the process, has brought together a select group of scientists and innovators from emerging fields of science and technology with African experts livestock value chains (alongside maize, cassava) to:
- identify the core bottlenecks along the target value chains,
- prioritize the importance of overcoming particular bottlenecks (based on impact on smallholder incomes, and technical, economic, and market feasibility), and
- generate and prioritize ideas for overcoming those specific constraints through innovative technology.
The project focuses primarily on technology and engineering components of the three target value chains, in particular post-harvest technologies. For livestock, the project focuses on technological enhancements and innovations that will help smallholder farmers overcome key constraints or inefficiencies in the dairy value chain, namely:
- Animal health and disease
- Milk production
- Milk quality
- Milk preservation, sanitation and transport
The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) is engaged in this process as a key partner with expertise and experience within respect to the dairy value chain. One of the project’s output goals is to develop business plans for highly promising technologies.
Research Partners
- RO - Regional Organization
- East Africa Dairy Development Project
