Such projects and components are directed at advancing not only livestock development, but also animal health, fodder production, range management, and processing and marketing of livestock products. Regular meat and milk consumption is no longer limited to certain sectors of the world s population. Today many developing and transition countries are seeking to intensify meat and dairy production to meet the demands of their increasingly urban and rapidly growing populations. Many of these countries need multilateral and private investment support to increase animal production and quality, assure fast delivery of perishable products, and link livestock improvement with other development efforts in an environmentally-sound manner. Beef, pig, milk and poultry production are critical components of rural development programmes, as livestock provide not only highly nutritious food, but are sources of farm power and organic manure.
Livestock are also a valued source of income for poor farmers, especially women.
The Centre helps to identify and integrate each beneficiary group in the design of projects through socio-economic and production systems studies carried out by the Centre s rural sociologists together with its livestock specialists, agronomists and agricultural economists. This 6-year project aims to increase livestock production and incomes in Soum Province. The project will establish a multi-disciplinary participatory approach team, and restructure and strengthen smallholder organizations. It will establish a private dairy to organize the marketing and collection of milk, and help breeders to sell cattle throughout the Province. The objective of this 6-year project is to strengthen food security and contribute to poverty alleviation in Senegal.