Agriculture is vital to global food production. Around 550 million smallholding households produce most of the world’s food, and many rely on livestock rearing for a living. Smallholder farms must survive and thrive to maintain and increase food production. Baseline information is vital for further extension service interventions. The goal of this Malawian study was to collect quantitative baseline data on crop and livestock production, agriproduct sales, and other indicators through a household survey, and to compare the efficacy (in terms of income) of using the concept of “Lead and Follow” farmer training programs. The baseline study survey was carried out in 44 sections of 11 extension planning areas from Malawi’s five districts (Dowa, Kasungu, Mchinji, Mzimba, and Rumphi). In total, 1131 smallholder households were interviewed. Crop production, livestock farming, and providing casual labor for others were all identified as significant sources of income for smallholders, implying that all agriproducts (the whole-farm approach) is equally important for improving smallholder livelihoods. On the one hand, the whole-farm approach should improve smallholders’ resilience regarding climate change and poverty. Lower agriproduct sales, on the other hand, indicated that links to the market were frequently poor but an increased market focus should help smallholders sell their produce at a fair margin. In terms of best practices adoption, both Lead and Follow farmers adopted similar farm practices (crops and livestock) to increase income. In general, no significant difference in income was calculated from many farm enterprises for both Lead and Follow farmers. However, the income from pigs and firewood was significantly higher for Follow farmers than for Lead farmers. Lead farmers reported significantly higher off-farm income sources. Significant changes are proposed to the “Lead farmer extension approach”.

Norway is the largest sheep meat producer among Nordic countries with more than 1.3 million lambs and sheep slaughtered in 2017. The sheep industry is limited by the need for in-house feeding during the winter months. In summer, Norwegian sheep are mainly kept on rangeland pastures, with sufficient feed for almost double the current sheep population. Lambs are slaughtered over a three- to four-month period from September to December with a peak in September–October, providing a surplus of lamb, much of which is subsequently frozen, followed by eight months during which fresh produce is in limited supply. Norwegian consumers eat an average of 5.4 kg of sheep meat per person per year, much of which is purchased as a frozen product. The Muslim (4.2% of the population) preference for year-round halal meat, with an increased demand on the eve of the Muslim meat festival (Eid al-Adha), has the potential to boost demand, particularly in Oslo. This paper provides an overview of the Norwegian sheep farming system, the current market value chains, and the potential to meet the demand for halal meat in Norway (specifically during the Muslim meat festival—Eid al-Adha) to the advantage of both consumers and sheep farmers.

This study evaluated the effect of supplemental vitamin E to ewes in late pregnancy on the rate of stillborn lambs. Ewes in 19 flocks in 5 regions of Norway were daily supplemented the 6–7 weeks before average expected lambing date with either (1) 360IU of vitamin E (supplemented), or (2) placebo (control). The daily supplement was given in addition to the daily basal diet of forage, concentrate and mixture of minerals and vitamins in each flock, assuming that forage contained on average 40mg α-tocopherol/kg DM. Information about the basal diets was collected via analyses of forage samples and questionnaires. Blood was collected from a sample of ewes in each flock 1 week pre-treatment (7–8 weeks before lambing), and from some flocks 1–2 weeks after initiation of supplementation (5–6 weeks before lambing) and 1–2 weeks after lambing. The body condition score (BCS) of the ewes was assessed 4–6 weeks before lambing. Mean content (±SD) of α-tocopherol in the forage of the 19 flocks was 25±17mg/kg DM. Mean daily intake of vitamin E of the ewes from the basal diet was 153±44IU. Vitamin E supplementation increased serum concentration of α-tocopherol (P=0.0002) 5–6 weeks before lambing. After lambing there was a higher ratio of α-tocopherol to cholesterol in serum of supplemented ewes compared with control ewes (P=0.02). Ewes with one or more stillborn lambs had lower serum α-tocopherol concentrations than ewes without stillborn lambs in litters with ≥3 lambs (P=0.01). For ewes with ≥3 lambs there was a significant lower stillbirth rate for vitamin E supplemented than for control ewes (P=0.0004), while there was no effect on the stillbirth rate for ewes having ≤2 lambs. Ewes with low BCS had a higher stillbirth rate than ewes with medium or high BCS (P=0.001). The results of this study indicate that daily supplementation of vitamin E during the last 6–7 weeks before lambing decreases the stillbirth rate of ewes having ≥3 lambs