1. Introduction
In the United Kingdom, the production of goat milk has changed drastically in the last ten years. The industry is continuously looking for significant future developments in areas such as artificial insemination and genomics, disease control, mortality reduction and protocols for rearing kids. Nonetheless, the goat industry is not a notable livestock sector in the United Kingdom, as evidenced by the evolution in the number of animals during the last 25 years (Figure 1). According to FAO census data, the total number of animals was at a maximum in 1990, followed by a continuous decline until the beginning of the 2000s. After that, the number of heads showed an upswing with some peaks and valleys, and a linear increase from 2010 to 2016 (FAOSTAT, 2016). The largest concentrations of commercial goat operations are found in York, Somerset and Worcestershire counties, all of them located in England.
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![]() Heather Briggs, Representante de la International Goat Associations en Reino Unido INTRODUCCIÓN La producción de leche de cabra ha cambiado drásticamente en los últimos 10 años en el Reino Unido. La actividad está continuamente mirando hacia un desarrollo significativo en áreas como la inseminación artificial y la genómica, el control de enfermedades, la reducción de la mortalidad y los protocolos de crianza de los cabritos. A pesar de ello, el caprino no es un sector ganadero destacable en Reino Unido, si vemos la evolución en el número de cabezas en los últimos 25 años (Figura 1) el censo marca un máximo donde comienzan la serie de datos de la FAO en el año 1990, un descenso continuo hasta inicio de los años 2000, seguido de un aumento constante de las cabezas, sobretodo hasta el año 2008, que el incremento se vuelve más errático y casi estancado (FAOSTAT, 2016). Las concentraciones más grandes de cabras comerciales se encuentran en los condados de York, Somerset y Worcestershire, todos ellos en Inglaterra. My Visit to Siddhi, Chitwan, August 25-28, 2018
Written by Yumiko Kawamura, IGA member from Japan Thanks to the wonderful assistance of Heifer International Nepal, I had the opportunity to visit Siddhi, a hillside village in Chitwan, where most residents are from the Chepang people group. The purpose of my visit to Siddhi was to witness the current livelihood status of Chepang and how goat initiatives deployed in 2012 by Heifer International Nepal are progressing. The Chepang are one of 125 ethnic groups found in Nepal. They live in central Nepal along the steep slopes of the Mahabharat range from 45 meters to 1,400 meters above sea level. They are found in Makawanpur, Dhading, Chitwan and Gorka Districts, which are among Nepal’s 75 administrative districts. Based on their low economic status and threatened cultural identity, the Chepang are categorized as a highly marginalized indigenous group by National Foundation for Development of Indigenous Nationalities (NFDIN) (World Vision Advocacy Forum, 2009). According to a 2011 population census, there are 68,399 Chepang people in Nepal among which 34,640 are males and 33,779 females; and more than 97% of Chepang people live in rural areas (CBS, 2011). During the Asian Regional Conference on Goats (ARCG-2018) this year, the International Goat Association presented Dr. Shoor Vir Singh with a Certificate of Recognition for his outstanding service and contributions to IGA, and for efforts to promote goat research and goat keeping in India and around the world.
Dr. Singh served on the IGA Board of Directors for three consecutive terms from 2004 to 2016. He also served as the IGA Regional Director for Asia for many years. ![]() Written by Beth Miller, IGA President The Fourth Asian-Australasian Dairy Goat conference (AADGC 2018) was held at Tra Vinh University, Vietnam with nearly 200 participants from 19 countries in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The theme was Strengthening Development of Dairy Goat Production Adapting to Climate Change. All the papers are published in the proceedings (ISBN 978-604-9). They are also available here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NR-FA1XVARRSWgVbFjvtj47jt-IEnk_A/view. Dairy goat production is increasing across Asia as farmers take advantage of increased prices for goat milk, and governments search for sustainable agricultural activities in the face of climate change. However, many challenges occur when new farmers take up dairy goat production, especially if they do not have strong livestock or commercial background. Training and technology are two key components of successful dairy goat enterprises, as well as markets and transportation. Key research topics include identification of the genetic merit of locally adapted breeds, and development of new and inexpensive feed resources so dairy goats can reach their genetic potential of milk production. ![]() Upon invitation, Professor Lu, IGA President 2004-2008, delivered a keynote speech at the Summer Meeting of the Chinese Association of Animal Science in June 2018, Tainan, Taiwan. The Meeting was held at Taiwan Livestock Research Institute (TLRI), an IGA gold institutional member. The topic of the presentation was “Global Trends of Animal Production and New Agricultural Policy in Taiwan.” Professor Lu discussed global trends in population growth, food production, food imbalance, as well as social and environmental costs associated with these trends. Water scarcity, soil degradation, ecosystem stress, biodiversity loss, decreasing forest cover, and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions are among the most severe environmental costs discussed. ![]() Dr. Terry A. Gipson was born into a farming family in southeast Missouri. In high school, Terry was active in FFA and attained the rank of State Farmer. He also showed FFA steers during high school. Terry earned his B.S. in Agriculture from the University of Missouri in 1978. From 1978 through 1981, he served in the Peace Corps in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Terry first served as a teacher at the Institut Professionnel Vétérinaire de Loda in northeastern Zaire and taught Zootechnie (Animal Husbandry) I and Zootechnie II in French. Topics taught included breeding and genetics, reproduction, nutrition, pasture and animal management, and live animal evaluation. Later, Dr. Gipson served as a Peace Corps Volunteer Leader in southeastern Zaire, and his responsibilities included supervision of volunteers in the field, visitation of prospective volunteer sites and interaction with Zairean authorities. Written by Mouad Chentouf, IGA Regional Director for North Africa*
INRA – Regional Center of Tangier This article was edited in collaboration with Francisco de Asís Ruiz Morales, IGA Regional Director for Western Europe, and translated by Jean-Marie Luginbuhl, IGA Secretary-Treasurer.
Introduction With an estimated number of 8 million heads in the 70s, the Morocco goat sector currently numbers 6.2 million animals. This significant drop in number is due to the years of drought that the country experienced during the 1980s, but also to the abandonment of this activity towards other more profitable agricultural activities. ![]() Country Representative for India Mamta is a veterinarian with over 20 years of varied experience ranging from international organizations like GALVmed, South Asia Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Programme (FAO and National Dairy Development Board of India joint programme), Animal Husbandry Department of Rajasthan, and various animal welfare organizations. ![]() Written by Yoko Tsukahara, IGA Board member The Asian Regional Conference on Goats (ARCG2018) was held at Amity University, Rajasthan, Jaipur, India on Oct. 22-26, 2018. The theme entitled “Current Challenges in Goat Industry and the Strategies to Combat in Asia Region.” A total of 287 researchers, professors, and producers from 14 countries including, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Hungary, Japan, Mongolia, Spain, and the USA attended the meeting. The scientific program included keynote addresses, expert talks, oral and poster presentations, and brainstorming and valedictory sessions. The participants enjoyed a warm traditional welcome during the technical tour at the Central Sheep and Wool Research Institute which produces and conducts research on pure Sirohi goats, varieties of sheep and rabbit breeds, veterinary medical plants, and so on. |
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