Sustainable livestock farming in Mayotte: supporting local breed management and health monitoring in ruminant farms - EDAME

EDAME project: preserving, understanding, training

Despite their hardiness and the quality of their meat, the conservation of local Mahoran breeds – the Mahoran zebu, the Mbouzi ya Shimaoré goat and the Barbari la Shimaoré sheep – on farms is under threat due to crossbreeding by farmers to increase productivity. Ultimately, their hardiness and unique characteristics could be lost.

At the same time, livestock farms in Mayotte are exposed to the spread of various diseases with serious health and economic impacts. The health situation in Mayotte is further weakened by the illegal importation of animals, which increases the risk of disease introduction.

It is therefore essential to study disease circulation, to raise awareness among all livestock stakeholders about these risks, and to support them in implementing action plans to improve livestock production.

A project structured around a network of local stakeholders for sustainable livestock farming

This project is built on a network of local livestock stakeholders. It provides for the implementation of four complementary actions. In response to the desire expressed by a group of farmers to preserve the island’s original breeds, the project will support the management of local breeds to address the risk of their disappearance. In terms of animal health, it will support the monitoring and control of infectious diseases that have sanitary or economic impacts on farms. The project will also examine the links between the health and breed type of ruminants, through a comparative study of how local, exotic and crossbred animals adapt to farming conditions in Mayotte. Finally, the project will organise training activities and serious game sessions to raise awareness and build knowledge among farmers and stakeholders in the livestock sector in Mayotte.

Conservation of local breeds, health management, and knowledge building

Conservation of local breeds: The project will work to develop breed management tools and to draft a roadmap with Mahoran stakeholders to support the conservation of local breeds on farms. It will also foster the adoption of new techniques in breed conservation management.

Pathogen monitoring and disease management: The project will help to better understand pathogen circulation and to develop tools for diagnosing and monitoring diseases. It will also support the implementation of coordinated tick control strategies on farms.

Scientific knowledge acquisition: The project will lead to the acquisition of scientific knowledge on the characteristics, performance and use of breeds found in Mayotte, as well as on the diseases and disease vectors present on the island.

Awareness-raising and training: The EDAME also aims to raise awareness among local stakeholders through serious games and training sessions on livestock-related topics.