News 2017-08-08: Tanzania Agricultural Show

Engaging Poultry Breeders and Smallholder Farmers on Raising Healthy Indigenous Poultry Flocks in Tanzania -The Sokoine University of Agriculture Genomics to Improve Poultry team participated in the annual Tanzania 8-8 Agricultural Show in Morogoro on August 8, 2017. The event brings together poultry breeders, smallholder poultry producers, students, and policy makers from across Tanzania to showcase agricultural products and technologies. Professor Amandus Muhairwa and graduate student Gaspar Honorati shared information about the the local indigenous ecotypes involved in the program’s efforts to enhance resistance to Newcastle Disease and heat in African chickens. They discussed with participants best practices for maintaining indigenous poultry flocks, biosecurity, and Newcastle disease control and prevention. As part of the event, Professor Muhairwa was interviewed for a national television program. In the interview, Professsor Muhairwa spoke about the program and the importance of genomics approaches to enhance natural resistance to Newcastle disease as a complimentary approach to vaccination for combating the disease in Africa.