£10m award boosts research into farming in developing countries

It is hoped research will help Africa's farmers improve the quality and productivity of their livestock
It is hoped research will help Africa's farmers improve the quality and productivity of their livestock

Efforts to tackle the challenges faced by livestock farmers in developing countries have been boosted by a £10 million research award.

Scientists will use funds from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to look at how genetic information can improve the health and productivity of farmed animals in tropical climates.

The institutions in Scotland and Africa where the researchers are based are also making additional contributions, taking the total funding pot to £20 million over the next five years.

The Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health is an alliance between the University of Edinburgh, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) and the Africa-headquartered International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).

The teams plan to investigate the genes that make some animals more resistant to diseases than others. They will also look at why certain breeds are able to thrive in hot and arid conditions.

Their ultimate aim is to develop technologies to help farmers in developing countries identify the best animals in a herd for breeding.

It is also hoped the research will help Africa's farmers improve the quality and productivity of their livestock.

The researchers will also use genetic techniques to identify and track emerging livestock diseases in tropical countries.

The University of Edinburgh's involvement is being led by scientists at its Roslin Institute.