A severe summer drought, followed by winter temperatures of minus 40-50°C, has resulted in the loss of an estimated 8 million animals – about 17 per cent of Mongolia’s livestock. The extreme conditions, known as dzud, have had a devastating impact in a country where 40 per cent of the population depend on livestock. In … Continue reading →

The  Marsabit district in rugged northern Kenya is the size of Ireland. It has ten tribes and seven languages but only 160,000 people. The manager of the local branch of Equity Bank says it takes two crunching days of driving his jeep through burning deserts to reach some of his customers. In colonial days the … Continue reading →

Dusty northern Kenya doesn’t look like a laboratory, but across its dry plains, cattle herders are pioneering a new way to fend off poverty and teaming up with unlikely partners – insurance agents. The two groups have been brought together by the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), headquartered in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi. A few years … Continue reading →

Kleinbauern in Afrika können ihr Vieh neuerdings gegen Dürren versichern Der  Marsabit-Distrikt  in   Kenia ist nicht  unbedingt  eine Touristengegend. Es  gibt zwar um  den verloschenen Vul- kan gleichen Namens herum einen Natio- nalpark mit Löwen, Leoparden, Zebras und  Elefanten.  Aber das  Tiefland am Ufer des Turkana-Sees und an der Gren- ze  zu  Äthiopien ist eintönig … Continue reading →

NASA satellites are being used to help Kenyan farmers insure their livestock against drought. The project is being piloted with thousands of herders in Northern Kenya, but could be rolled out to other arid areas of Africa. Traditionally it’s been hard for them to get insurance, because of the logistical difficulties of sending an insurance … Continue reading →

The droughts in the Turkana region were less severe when she was growing up, says Laura Letapalel, and pastoralists could still find some grass and water for their animals. Now, she laments, the droughts are longer and there is nothing to eat. Andrew Mude, an economist with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), says drought … Continue reading →

Livestock farmers in Kenya are gearing up for insurance opportunities against losses from drought and disease-related deaths. The insurance products will come in handy at a time when global warming has affected rainfall patterns and food prices have shot up because of chronic shortages. The first set of livestock insurance products are set to hit … Continue reading →

Satellite-based insurance for livestock has been developed in Kenya to measure the country’s “greenness,” safeguarding herders against droughts and other effects of climate change. Slated to begin in early 2010, Kenya will be the first developing nation to set up a satellite insurance mechanism. Specialists will study satellite images measuring the greenness of vegetation in … Continue reading →

…Pastoralists will be compensated for loss of their animals from January after a livestock insurance product is launched in Kenya. However, details of the exact amount of premium to be paid will depend on the insurance company that have agreed to partner with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the institution that developed the product. … Continue reading →