Chitwan, Nepal
The Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) is exploring a potential collaboration with international partners to improve livestock genetics. In a recent discussion, representatives from AFU’s Directorate of Research and Extension (DoREX) Dr. Nirajan Bhattarai, met with the Director General of the Livestock Development Institute (LDI) in Ethiopia and Professor Mizeck Chagunda, Director and Chair of Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CLTGH), University of Edinburgh, UK.
During the meeting, both sides agreed on the need for future collaboration under the proposed “Asia-Africa Collaboration for Livestock Genetic Improvement.” The focus would be on enhancing the genetic potential of indigenous livestock breeds, particularly in the dairy and poultry sectors, to boost productivity and sustainability in smallholder farming communities.
AFU has shown interest in working on concept notes to outline possible areas of cooperation. The discussion highlighted the involvement of key international organizations, including:
🔹 CLTGH (University of Edinburgh, UK) – Specializing in livestock genetics research
🔹 Asia-Africa Dairy Genetic Gain (AADGG) – Supporting dairy genetics development
🔹 Livestock Development Institute (LDI), Ethiopia – Working on livestock sector improvement in Africa
🔹 International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) – Nairobi & Addis Ababa – A global research organization focused on livestock development
This multi-regional collaboration, if materialized, could bring together expertise from Asia and Africa to enhance livestock breeding programs, increase milk and meat production, and improve farmers’ livelihoods. AFU remains committed to expanding global partnerships in agricultural research and innovation and looks forward to further discussions to shape the future of this collaboration.
Thank you for covering this initiative.