General Background

Livestock research plays a significant role in improving livestock productivity, quality production, and competency. Recognizing this, the government of Ethiopia supports the sector’s entire political economy. To this end, Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI) is conducting livestock research to provide users with improved livestock technologies and practices, thereby enhancing sector productivity across different production systems.

For the last two decades, TARI’s livestock directorate, organized in seven research centers, has been undertaken numerous livestock research activities. These activities focus on addressing the region’s various opportunities (potentials), meeting the demands of different value chain actors, and overcoming constraints hindering livestock development. Despite limitations in resources (material, financial, and human), previous livestock research efforts have undeniably contributed many problem-solving technologies.

General Objectives

The strategic objective of regional livestock research is to improve food security, nutrition, and income of beneficiaries by enhancing animal production and productivity through:

• Generating/adapting technologies (in quality and quantity) that can sustainably improve animal production and productivity.
• Demonstrating and popularizing improved technologies and facilitating technology transfer to end users.
• Multiplying and delivering improved technologies and enhancing their efficiency in quality and quantity.
• Supporting policymakers by providing research-based information, including technical, institutional, and policy recommendations for decision-making.

Research Thematic Areas

• Generating and introducing market-oriented technologies and creating market linkages.
• Developing technologies resilient to climate change.
• Creating technologies addressing the needs of different niches and farming systems (urban agriculture, drought/frost-affected areas, etc.).
• Addressing a wider range of end users, such as women, investors, youth associations, agro-processors, exporters, etc.
• Enhancing productivity (quantity/quality) technologies and supporting export market efficiency.
• Developing import substitution technologies used as inputs for agri-business/agro-industry.
• Ensuring food and nutrition security through appropriate technologies.
• Ensuring safety and shelf life of animal-sourced foods like meat, milk, eggs, honey, skin, and hide (public health and safety).
• Conserving indigenous breeds and natural resources through targeted technologies.
• Considering public health and safety in technology development.
• Researching commodities with better economic value.
• Supporting policymakers with research-based scientific information to address specific problems.

Research Programs

Under the livestock research sector, the following eleven program/commodity areas are identified:

Commodity Programs

I. Ruminants

• Cattle (meat/milk)
• Sheep and Goat (mainly meat)

II. Non-Ruminants

• Poultry (Meat and Egg) and Pack Animals
• Fisheries and Aquaculture
• Apiculture/Bee and Hive Products (Honey, Wax, Venom, Propolis)

III. Cross-Cutting (Non-Commodity Programs)

• Genetic Improvement
• Feed and Nutrition
• Natural Grazing Resources
• Animal Health
• Insect Rearing Unit (Black Soldier Fly, House Fly, Sericulture, etc.)

Livestock Research Focus across Centers

Research Centers	Research Focus Areas
Humera Begait Livestock Breed Research Multiplication and Conservation Center	Begait cattle production and productivity improvement (dairy/beef)Begait sheep and goat production and productivity improvement
Shirea-Maytsberi ARC	Ruminant production and productivity improvement research (meat)
Axum ARC	Poultry production and productivity improvementCattle production and productivity improvement (dairy)
Abergelle ARC	Small ruminant production and productivity improvementFish and aquaculture production and productivity improvement
Mekelle ARC	Cattle production and productivity improvement (dairy)Small ruminant production and productivity improvementPoultry production and productivity improvementFish and aquaculture production and productivity improvement
Alamata ARC	Cattle production and productivity improvement (beef)Small ruminant
Mekelle Bee Research and Training Center	Honey bee production and productivity improvementSericulture

Note: ARC = Agricultural Research Center

Structural Organization and Manpower

Currently, the directorate has 83, of which 74 are researchers, 9 technical assistances directly participating in research activities.

Human Resources (Skilled Manpower)

Manpower	Diploma	BSc.	MSc.	Ph.D.	Total
Researcher	–	20	35	19	74
Technical Assistant	9	–	–	–	9

Goals

Contribution to Achieving GTP Goals

• Utilizing the Livestock Development Master Plan as a strategic document.
• Considering the Country Livestock Research Strategy and cascading the objectives to our region.

Research Approach

• Participatory: Ensuring the involvement of all stakeholders from problem appraisal to the execution of research projects and dissemination of research outputs.
• Involving Farmers’ Research Groups (FRGs).
• Implementing a cluster-based production system.
• Utilizing advanced biotechnology tools.
• Employing resource-sharing codes.
• Networking with national and international research centers.

Collaborations with Other Institutions

• The Livestock Research Directorate has been involved in collaborative activities with different governmental and non-governmental institutions both within and outside the country towards achieving its mandate. Among institutions collaborated with are:

Livestock Research Based Center of Excellence

Contact information

TESFAY HAGOS HAILE (PhD.)

Livestock Research Directorate Director@Tigray Agricultural Research Institute (TARI)

Senior Researcher in Animal Nutrition and Feed Science

Official Email: tesfayhh3@tari.gov.et

Optional Email: eytesfay@yahoo.com

Mobile Number.+251-967041781/970089917

P.O.Box: 495

Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia