The cavy innovation platform in South Kivu

22 January 2015. Last year, FAO invited PhD students and young researchers from developing countries, working in the area of animal nutrition, to participate in a video competition and to share information on promising animal nutrition technologies or interventions that will contribute to improved feeding of livestock.

The purpose of conducting the competition was to:

• promote research focusing on the needs of smallholder farmers,
• enhance South-South knowledge exchange and transfer, and
• facilitate identification of technologies and interventions that have potential for replication and upscaling.

A set of 11 selected Videos from the competition can now be accessed. Here is the video related to Africa:

The cavy innovation platform in South Kivu.

• In Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, approximately 70% of the smallholder livestock keep cavy (guinea pigs). 
• The video highlights the importance of feeding grasses mixed with legumes and concentrate feeds as supplements. 
• Improved housing for Cavy, which provides clean environment, free access to water and proper feeding has also been developed; and future research areas have been highlighted. The aim is to increase income and nutrition of the families farming cavy. 

With the support of AusAid, ILRI, CIAT, INERA/DRC, BeaC ( Biosciences Eastern and Central Africa), ...