The influence of fodder on vitamin a and β‐carotene in milk — Sahelian Mali

Vitamin A deficiency has been reported on repeatedly in recent years from the Sahel region in West Africa. Nomadism, pastoralism and agro‐pastoralism are the common systems for food production in the area. Milk was a major food item prior to the repeated droughts of the past few decades. This investigation has looked at the retinol content in milk from various domestic animals at the end of the dry season, which is critical from vitamin A supply point of view. Milk from cows fed on hay from the previous year was devoid of retinol, while milk from goats contained good levels regardless of whether the source of fodder was browse or fresh grass after the onset of rains. Acacia tortilis, a common and preferred fodder tree, is rich in β‐carotene. Establishing small‐scale cultivation of other β‐carotene rich, indigenous, woody, non‐spiny fodder‐species such as Maerua crassifolia, is therefore proposed to increase the vitamin A content, and therefore the value of cow's milk. This could be integrated into the ongoing tree‐plantation programs for dune stabilisation.

Key words:

• Sahel
• Mali
• milk
• fodder
• browsing
• vitamin A
• carotene
• goats
• sheep
• cows

Notes

Corresponding author.